Five deputies of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and its junior coalition partner - the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS) - on Monday convened explaining that this was a continuation of a session the Commission of Inquiry began last Monday. They also accused the commission's chairman, Nenad Stazic of the strongest opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP), of having concluded last week's session contrary to to regulations and of having tried to procrastinate the commission's work through the entire summer.
Andrija Hebrang of the HDZ said at a news conference that representatives of the Opposition could not stand the truth which was why they had left the commission.
Hebrang said that according to the findings of the commission, the invitation for tenders for the provision of trucks was cancelled in accordance with the public procurement law, that the entire procedure had to be classified on the order from the Armed Forces' supreme command, and that direct deal was in compliance with the law.
The commission's findings also read that the direct deal was conducted for the purpose of accomplishing partnership goals, and that an inspection carried out by the then acting chief inspector in the defence ministry, General Jozo Milicevic was illegal.
Milicevic's conclusions that the trucks were overpaid by HRK 15 million was interpreted by HDZ and HSS members of the commission as his ignorance of the matter, and they also recall that he had admitted during his testimony before the commission that he had not read the Defence Act.
The commission recalls that the Office of the Chief State Auditor had established that there were no irregularities in the purchase of those trucks in 2004, and it calls on relevant state bodies to investigate "who has for years given accusing statements about the purchase, made up fabrications and misinformed the Croatian and the European public".
Hebrang believes that in the event the majority in the national parliament (Sabor) adopts these conclusions "the European Commission will no longer ask questions about the alleged corruption in that purchase".
Later on Monday, Stazic labelled those conclusions as unlawful as they were adopted at a session which, he said, members of the parliamentary majority held contrary to the rule book.
Stazic told reporters that the conclusions were not made at the session but at "a private gathering " of some deputies.