Former head of the Croatian Ski Federation faces charges of embezzling millions of euros
Vedran Pavlek, the former president of the Croatian Ski Federation (HSS), has been detained in Istanbul. He is suspected of large-scale financial misconduct.
This was reported by Ski-Nordique.
According to the investigation, Pavlek is implicated in the embezzlement of approximately 30 million euros from the organization’s funds, as well as in witness tampering and repeated violations of the law.
Law enforcement officials believe that the former official transferred approximately 10 million euros to his own foreign accounts. In addition, he allegedly carried out fictitious financial transactions through companies registered in Switzerland, Monaco, and Liechtenstein.
Pavlek previously failed to appear at a court hearing in Zagreb on March 27, 2026, where a pretrial detention order was to be issued against him.
Vedran Pavlek resigned from his post in March 2026 amid a corruption scandal. As part of the same investigation, four of his former colleagues from the national federation have also come under suspicion.
Pavlek was previously a professional alpine skier and represented Croatia at three Winter Olympic Games—in 1992, 1994, and 1998. At the 1994 Olympics, he served as the flag bearer for the national team during the opening ceremony.
The investigation is currently ongoing, and law enforcement officials are clarifying all the circumstances of the case.
Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported the exposure of large-scale embezzlement during the construction of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Center in Sochi, also known as the Alina Kabaeva Center.
