Croatian former PM's trial postponed

The trial of former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader over corruption charges was postponed due to health problems, the presiding judge said on Friday. Sanader, who is charged with receiving about 3.6 million kuna (692,300 U.S. dollars) kickbacks from an Austrian bank between 1994 and 1995 while he was deputy foreign minister, denied any wrongdoing. Entering into the courtroom with a crutch, the 58-year-old defendant complained to the presiding judge Ivan Turudic that he has been suffering from heart problems and high blood pressure. He also apologized to the judge for not wearing a suit saying that he thought they were taking him to a hospital. After hearing the defendant's complaint and a medical expert's opinion, Turudic decided to postpone the trial to November 3. Jadranka Slokovic, one of Sanader's lawyers, told reporters outside the court that her client will be hospitalized in Zagreb. Serving as Croatia's Prime Minister from 2003 to 2009, Sanader surprised the nation with a sudden resignation in July 2009. Following Croatia's anti-corruption campaign, he was arrested in Austria in December last year and was extradited to Croatia in July. The former prime minister has since remained in a prison in Zagreb as investigations went on for several other corruption accusations against him.