Slovenian police conducted searches at two dozen locations on 23 April as part of a probe into allegations of bribery at the state-run motorway company DARS under the previous management.

The police said six persons were suspected of abuse of office and accepting or offering bribes. They did not name the company or persons concerned, but several of those involved, including DARS, confirmed they had been visited by police.

The probe comes half a year after the commercial broadcaster POP TV run a report in which a whistleblower alleged rife corruption, kickbacks, blackmail, the favouring of selected suppliers and rigged public tenders at DARS.

The report led to the resignation of DARS chairman Valentin Hajdinjak in November last year. At the time he, like everyone else, denied any wrongdoing, saying he was forced out.

The police said 74 officers were conducting searches at private, business and other premises across the country.

They suspect one of the persons of having enabled a company to obtain a €16 million deal with a state-owned company.

In three cases, abuse of office did not go beyond an attempt. Some of the alleged crimes carry up to five years in prison, and some also involve fines, according to the police.

DARS said it was actively cooperating with National Bureau of Investigation and would, in line with a court order, hand them the required documents.

"These searchers are the result of past events, as you know, suspicions of irregularities were identified and are now being investigated," DARS chairman David Skornšek said.

DARS has been subject to two forensic reviews. One has been completed, and the NBI has been informed of its findings, while the other is to be completed by the end of summer, he said.

Rok Snežič, a tax consultant whom the POP TV report showed receiving a bribe in exchange for arranging deals with DARS for the whistleblower, confirmed that police searched his home.

He repeated that he had never worked for DARS or Hajdinjak.

Based on the court order he read when visited by the police, he said the police had also visited the entire DARS management, former Police Commissioner Anton Travner, who later briefly worked for DARS, former director of maintenance at DARS Damijan Jaklin and the whistleblower who claimed to have given Snežič a bribe.

Snežič himself is suspected of taking unlawful gifts and the whistleblower is suspected of giving unlawful gifts.

He said he had filed two criminal complaints six months ago against unknown perpetrators over the recording, which he says was forged.

The Kranj municipality said police had visited to inquire about a plot it bought from DARS last autumn near a Kranj motorway exit, but no municipality employee is under investigation.