CROATIA
The Telegraph (United Kingdom)
A female banker believed to be the accomplice of a Croatian Catholic priest who went on the run with around a £1 million pocketed from an illegal property deal has been arrested.
By Matthew Day, Warsaw
2:59PM BST 26 Oct 2012
Jasmina Bilonic, 41, faces charges of aiding Father Sime Nimac abuse his office and authority when he allegedly sold a piece of Church land without permission earlier in the year. The director of private banking for a Split bank was remanded in custody.
Arrested in Zagreb last week, Father Nimac hit the news in both his native Croatia and around the world when he disappeared from his parish with millions of Croatian kuna in cash, and leaving behind a mountain of rumours of an extravagant lifestyle festooned with cars, fine clothes, boats and a relationship with a married woman.
But despite the scandal and Father Nimac’s Franciscan order issuing an apology for his behaviour some of his parishioners have rallied to his defence, claiming that the 36-year-old priest was led astray by a mysterious femme fatale character.
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