ZAGREB, Jan 15 (Hina) - The Croatian Interior Ministry on Wednesday denied claims by the Dubrovnik branch of the Croatian Bloc (HB) party that Minister Sime Lucin had ordered the removal of Croatian flags from the fort and lighthouse
on the southern border tip of Prevlaka.
ZAGREB, Jan 15 (Hina) - The Croatian Interior Ministry on Wednesday
denied claims by the Dubrovnik branch of the Croatian Bloc (HB)
party that Minister Sime Lucin had ordered the removal of Croatian
flags from the fort and lighthouse on the southern border tip of
Prevlaka. #L#
Dismissing the HB claims, the ministry's deputy spokesman Nino
Jaklin told Hina Lucin was not authorised to give the police orders,
that this was the task of the chief of police.
He pointed out that on Prevlaka, as elsewhere on border crossings in
the country, the national flag must be placed on sites prescribed by
the Law on the National Crest, Flag and Anthem, and that flags were
in fact hoisted on those locations.
He noted that the day the Croatian government took over supervision
over Prevlaka, numerous citizens placed their own flags in areas
not envisaged by law. Jaklin would neither confirm nor deny that
these flags were removed.
"The Croatian flag continues to stream on Prevlaka and will do so in
the future. Today it is visible both on the Croatian and the
Montenegrin sides," Jaklin said.
Heads of the HB's Dubrovnik-Neretva County branch stated at a news
conference today that police had been threatened with dismissals if
they admitted that Minister Lucin had directly demanded that flags
be removed from the fort and lighthouse on Prevlaka.
(hina) sp/ha sb