Zlatko Mateša resigns amid corruption probe

The president of the Croatian Olympic Committee resigned on Thursday amid a corruption probe that is looking into the financing of Croatian sports associations and the Olympic Committee itself.

One day after testifying to a parliamentary committee that the Croatian Ski Association had properly allocated millions of euros allotted to the association, and two days after he and his wife found themselves the target of an investigation, the long-time head of the Croatian Olympic Committee, Zlatko Mateša, has resigned. Simultaneously, USKOK has frozen €4.5 million in assets belonging to five suspects in the ski association corruption case, including the former president of the association, Vedran Pavlek.

Excerpt Croatian Olympic Committee President Zlatko Mateša's resignation letter:

I waited with my decision to resign until the completion of the procedures that determined that the funds received by the Croatian Ski Association from the Croatian Olympic Committee were not used illegally, while the irregularities can only relate to the disposal of funds from other revenues of the Croatian Ski Association (...), I believe that in the circumstances that have arisen, it is my moral obligation to take a step that will allow for full attention to be focused on processes that must bring clarity, trust and stability.

However, Mateša's resignation failed to impress the opposition in parliament. MOST MP Marin Miletić: "Today we've learned that Mateša has resigned. And that is absolutely not enough, because they built a state within a state and systematic corruption. Because for years they stole tens of millions of euros, and only now, when we pushed them up against a wall, and when their theft has been uncovered does he tender his resignation."

Source: HRT