Moravče Mayor Resigns Amid Corruption Probe

Milan Balažic, the mayor of Moravče, has submitted his resignation after facing a criminal investigation and a court-ordered 30-day detention. The resignation comes in the wake of extensive house searches conducted at the end of May as part of an investigation into over 20 alleged corruption offenses.

Balažic is suspected of various corruption-related crimes, including accepting bribes and illicit mediation. The accusations specifically relate to his alleged involvement in influencing municipal councilors regarding changes to the spatial plan for the Mošenik area. These changes would have permitted the continued operation of the Termit company's sandpit.

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due to circumstances related to the criminal proceedings against him

According to the court order, Balažic allegedly received payment for a kitchen worth approximately 26,000 euros from Termit's director and also demanded at least 5,770 euros. However, Balažic has vehemently denied these allegations, asserting at a press conference on June 1 that the charges against him are "empty and politically motivated."

Following Balažic's resignation, the deputy mayor, Janez Vidic, will lead the municipality until the local elections in the fall. The investigation has also implicated other individuals, including deputy mayor Marko Kladnik, Gibanje Svoboda local committee president Jurij Kočar, and several entrepreneurs, according to RTV Slovenija.

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empty and politically motivated