HEALTH MINISTER DIVERTING ATTENTION FROM BRIBING OF JOURNALISTS - LUCIC

ZAGREB, March 3 (Hina) - Croatian Journalists' Association (HND) president Dragutin Lucic said on Wednesday that by revealing the existence of contracts between the former Health Ministry and journalists, incumbent Minister Andrija Hebrang "wanted to downplay the fact that a member of the HZZO (Health Insurance Agency) tried to bribe journalists at a recent lunch".#L# "I think that with today's disclosure of incomplete data about those contracts, the minister tried to divert attention from the real problem, which is offering bribes to journalists," Lucic told Hina. He maintains that Hebrang "partly misinformed the public" because he did not reveal everything about the contracts, i.e. the names of the journalists who signed them, the amounts, and the contractual parties. Lucic said the HND would ask that Hebrang disclose everything in connection with the contracts with a view to "clarifying this case". He said that in principle it was inadmissible that reporters covering the health sector should receive money from the Health Ministry, but that it was different if reporters "are members of working groups, like the minister said". "Journalists are entitled to take part in the work of such groups but they mustn't mix that with everyday professional work," Lucic said. (Hina) ha sb