Corruption probe into the Croatian Olympic Committee continues

The Croatian sports community has been the focus of a massive corruption probe in recent weeks. The probe includes various national level associations and federations, as well as the Croatian Olympic Committee. The entire process started with revelations of massive financial misappropriation at the Ski Association.

Following Thursday's sudden resignation by the President of the Croatian Olympic Committee, Zlatko Mateša, amid a massive corruption probe into Croatian sports federations and associations, the USKOK anti-corruption agency has requested that the Olympic Committee make available the relevant documentation pertaining to its corruption probe.

And while it is believed that the Olympic Committee is cooperating with the authorities in the investigation, it also came to light on Friday that prior to resigning Mateša had authorized the president of the Croatian Judo Federation, Sanda Čorak, to lead the Olympic Committee until new elections are held. And while Čorak insists that she will only serve in a technical capacity to ensure that athletes can continue to compete in international competitions, the move has raised eyebrows as the Judo Federation is already among those sports associations under investigation for the misappropriation of funds.

This raised the ire of SDP MP Marija Lugarić: “Just when you think it can't get any worse and more convoluted, it gets worse and more convoluted. The bare minimum for an acting president of the Olympic Committee would have been to appoint a person who is at least somewhat distanced from the mess in Croatian sports federations.”

Possible candidates to assume the reigns at the Olympic Committee full-time are former Finance Minister Zdravko Marić, who is currently the President of the Croatian Tennis Association, and former Education Minister and new President of the Croatian Taekwondo Federation, Dragan primorac.

Source: HRT