ZAGREB, March 12 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic confirmed on Friday that Counterintelligence Agency (POA) Director Franjo Turek had announced that he would request to be relieved of his duties, but that he had not yet
received a request.
ZAGREB, March 12 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic confirmed on
Friday that Counterintelligence Agency (POA) Director Franjo Turek had
announced that he would request to be relieved of his duties, but that
he had not yet received a request.#L#
Mesic told reporters that Turek was seeking dismissal for personal
reasons.
Mesic's statement confirms media reports that quoted unofficial
sources from the state leadership as saying that the POA director was
resigning.
Asked to comment on media reports that Turek was leaving because of
the alleged dissatisfaction of the government and the President's
Office with the performance of intelligence agencies, particularly his
POA, in tracking down General Ante Gotovina, Mesic said he was
satisfied with the work of the intelligence services.
Asked to comment on a recent statement by Interior Minister Marijan
Mlinaric about "intelligence and media schemes" in the Gotovina case,
notably that intelligence services fed the Croatian media with
misinformation about the fugitive general, Mesic said that there had
been no such schemes.
"As far as Croatia is concerned, there have been no such schemes.
Somebody probably sent certain misinformation to the Hague tribunal
and the Office of the Prosecutor, but it was not our intelligence
services or any of our officials. This was probably done by someone
who wishes nothing good for this country," the president said.
Mesic rejected media speculation that the directors of the Military
Intelligence Service and the Intelligence Service would also be
relieved, saying that they were still at the helm of their services.
(Hina) vm sb