Croatian construction minister Darko Horvat was arrested as part of a corruption investigation. He is suspected of illegally distributing subsidies for entrepreneurs in 2018, when he was acting minister of economy.
The Guardian reports with reference to the national anti-corruption USKOK bureau.
Horvat and several other persons are suspected of illegally distributing approximately $400,000 in grants to support entrepreneurs from ethnic minorities in 2018.
A court arrested the official on charges of abuse of power.
For his part, Horvat denies all charges. He has already been dismissed from his post.
Croatian deputy prime minister Boris Milosevic also became a defendant in the case. He had tendered his resignation after media reports that he is a suspect in the grants case.
In addition, the Croatian police carried out searches in the apartments of Milosevic and Horvat.
