"I received the first information about the drug incident on October 24," the minister said when asked about the scandal in the Croatian consulate.
Croatian media reported that in early 2005 US police had arrested the husband of an employee with the consulate, Bozica Barisic, while he was buying drugs in a car with diplomatic registration plates.
After the incident, Barisic continued working for the consulate for a year and a half, and her husband kept a diplomatic passport although a US court sentenced him to probation.
Asked if the ministry had covered up the scandal, the minister said that a commission had been formed to investigate the case and that she expected to receive its findings by the end of next week.
Grabar Kitarovic said she requested Bajic to investigate "allegations of criminal activities" after she had received a letter with such allegations in November 2005.
She added that she spoke to Bajic last week and that he told her that he would inform her about the results of the investigation in coming days.
Grabar Kitarovic dismissed media speculation that ministry spokeswoman Ivana Crnic was replaced due to the scandal in Los Angeles, stating that she had previously expressed a wish to change her job. "Her departure has nothing to do with the Barisic case," the minister said.