Croatian authorities are seeking the extradition of former ski federation chief Vedran Pavlek after his arrest in Kazakhstan, as part of a widening corruption investigation involving tens of millions of euros.

Justice Minister Damir Habijan confirmed the arrest on May 1, saying the extradition process could be lengthy and would depend on legal procedures in Kazakhstan.

“It is difficult to assess what Pavlek will do, whether he will use certain legal means, whether he will appeal, but the procedure will take some time, and how much depends on how quickly the procedure will go in Kazakhstan itself,” Habijan said in a government statement.

Pavlek, the former head of the Croatian Ski Association, is wanted on suspicion of misappropriating around €30mn from the organisation. He had reportedly been evading Croatian authorities abroad for several weeks before being located.

Habijan said the arrest followed efforts launched in early April after authorities determined Pavlek’s whereabouts. “The decision on conducting the investigation prepared by USKOK will be sent to the Kazakh authorities at the beginning of next week, after which we expect their procedure to be initiated and, upon completion of the procedure, extradition to Croatia,” he said, according to a government statement.

He added that the case is part of a broader operation involving anti-corruption prosecutors at USKOK, as well as the interior and justice ministries.

“The key is that Pavlek has been arrested and that Croatia expects his extradition once the formal legal procedures are completed,” Habijan said.

Attorney General Ivan Turudić said Pavlek could either agree to return voluntarily or contest extradition under international law.

Interior Minister Davor Božinović said the arrest followed cooperation between Croatian and Kazakh police via Interpol, after authorities were alerted to Pavlek’s presence in the country.

Officials said it remains unclear whether Pavlek’s laptop and mobile phone — potentially key evidence — have been recovered. Media reports have speculated that the investigation could widen to include other figures linked to the skiing body.

Habijan noted that Croatia has little prior experience with extraditions involving Kazakhstan, adding further uncertainty to the timeline.