Ex-alpine skier Vedran Pavlek is wanted

Vedran Pavlek spoke to the media in Zagreb in 2023 before the start of the skiing World Cup season. Picture: Igor Kralj / Pixsell / Alamy Stock Photo / All Over Press

Croatian ex-alpine skier Vedran Pavlek is wanted on suspicion of serious financial crimes, reports for example Blick.

Pavlek has been in the leadership of the Croatian Ski Association for a long time, but left his position earlier this year.

Pavlek is suspected of taking up to 30 million euros from the union over ten years. Croatian Index magazine according to the case, there are a total of six suspects.

Austrian ORF:n according to the other suspects have also worked for the Croatian Ski Association.

Pavlekista an international wanted notice has been issued. He is on the wanted list of the international criminal police organization Interpol.

The police have located a suspect from Turkey, whose authorities are handling the case. According to his lawyer, Pavlek is there on vacation and not on the run from the police.

After the Milan–Cortina Olympics in February, the ex-Olympic athlete is said to have traveled first to Dubai instead of his home country and from there via Moscow to Istanbul.

Indexin according to one of the companies to which the union’s funds have been transferred, operates specifically in Moscow.

In addition, money transfers have been made, for example, with companies located in Austria, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Switzerland and Hungary.

The suspect and his lawyer have announced their opposition to placing Pavlek in pretrial detention.

In their opinion, there is no risk of crimes continuing or evidence being destroyed.

52 years old Pavlek alpine skied at the Albertville, Lillehammer and Nagano Olympics in 1992, 1994 and 1998.

In the early 2000s, he led his country’s alpine team in three Olympics, where Croatia had strong success Janica and Ivica Kostelicin under.