Tomislav Horvatinčić arrested for violating driving ban

Entrepreneur Tomislav Horvatinčić, 78, has been arrested and placed under investigation for allegedly violating a court-ordered ban on operating motor vehicles. The investigation follows media reports and citizen sightings of Horvatinčić driving a Land Rover in Zagreb.

Horvatinčić was previously convicted for a 2011 maritime accident that resulted in the deaths of an Italian couple. As part of his sentence, he was issued a five-year ban on driving, which was set to begin after his release from prison in July last year. Despite this ban, Horvatinčić reportedly obtained a valid driver's license earlier this year after medical examinations, a point his defense claims led to confusion regarding his legal restrictions.

A judge from the Zagreb County Court has ordered a one-month investigative detention, though much of this will be served as house arrest. Horvatinčić will initially spend several days in the Remetinec prison facility while technical requirements, such as an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet, are installed at his residence. Interior Minister Davor Božinović clarified that a driving ban is a separate judicial measure from the revocation of a driver's license, noting that many individuals hold licenses while still being subject to such bans.