Agrokor founder Ivica Todoric arrives in Croatia

N1

The founder and former CEO of the Agrokor food and retail group, Ivica Todoric, arrived in Zagreb from London at around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, after a UK court had granted Croatia's request for his extradition on October 25.

Upon landing, he was taken to Zagreb’s Remetinec prison.

Tomorrow morning he is expected to be interrogated by the prosecution.

Todoric had been arrested in November last year in London, on a European arrest warrant issued by Croatia.

He was set free on a £100,000 bail the same day. Under conditions of his release, he had to surrender his passport, wear an electronic tagging bracelet, and report to the police three times per week.

Todoric and 14 other former senior managers of the Agrokor food and retail conglomerate are under investigation over the debt crisis at the company which employs tens of thousands of people across the region, and which has been taken over by state-appointed crisis administration in April 2017.

The investigation by the Zagreb state attorney was launched in October 2017, with Todoric suspected of unlawfully syphoning 1.14 billion kuna (€154 million) out of the company.

His sons Ante and Ivan, who also held posts in company's management, are suspects in the investigation as well, along with 12 other company managers and auditors.

In April, Westminster Magistrates’ Court had approved Todoric's extradition, dismissing Todoric's defence lawyers’ claims that the fraud investigation against him was in fact a case of political persecution.

That ruling became final in October, after the defence motion to allow Todoric to appeal was dismissed.

(€1 = 7.43 kuna)

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