The PM made the statement in response to Social Democrat Marin Jurjevic's statement that the government had still not answered questions regarding the Brodosplit affair and that its incomplete answers had caused even greater suspicions in the public.
"Possible crime has no political connotations, we will wait for the results of the investigation, and the two of us will together condemn possible criminal and dishonourable activities, rather than criticising the government for something that should be done by the State Prosecutor's Office," Sanader said.
He added that the former management of the Split-based shipyard was under investigation as well, and objected to Jurjevic's unwillingness to accept democratic standards and the tripartition of authority.
"Verdicts cannot be passed outside courts, which is why I mentioned the nice person from your family," Sanader told Jurjevic, alluding to Jurjevic's relative who was in the former Yugoslav communist authorities.
"I am a deputy chosen by the people, you are expected to be up to the post you hold, so try to rise above your manners at home," Jurjevic replied.
Another Social Democrat, Milanka Opacic, wanted to know why the former Pozega-Slavonia County prefect Ivan Bagaric of the ruling HDZ party had been exempt from investigation and if the prime minister was afraid of what Bagaric might say.
She recalled that the former manager of the Kamen Ingrad construction company, Vlado Zec, recently arrested for financial wrongdoing, was deputy prefect during Bagaric's term.
"It is clear that you gave the order to arrest Vlado Zec because the police report against him had been lying on the shelf for several months," Opacic said, requesting that Sanader too be investigated over the case, because the government had written off the company's debt.
Sanader said Opacic's claim was shameless insinuation and that he did not give an order for anyone's arrest.
"Such things were possible during your term in power, they are impossible in a democratic society," Sanader said, asking the parliament to protect him from such attacks.
He said that his government had not written off Kamen Ingrad's debt, but recognised the costs of some 20 quarries and that the 35 million kuna debt of Kamen Ingrad had been written off by the former, SDP-led government.