ZAGREB, April 15 (Hina) - A Zagreb attorney, Mirko Batarelo, dismissed media claims connecting him to corruption in the judiciary, i.e. his alleged agreement with former Zagreb County Prosecutor Krunoslav Canjuga to reduce certain
criminal charges and split bribes.
ZAGREB, April 15 (Hina) - A Zagreb attorney, Mirko Batarelo,
dismissed media claims connecting him to corruption in the
judiciary, i.e. his alleged agreement with former Zagreb County
Prosecutor Krunoslav Canjuga to reduce certain criminal charges
and split bribes. #L#
"I have nothing to do with these false accusations because I never
took part in alleged judiciary racketeering, nor have I offered
anyone bribes," Batarelo told Hina.
According to the media, police had tapped Batarelo's telephone as
part of an investigation into corruption in the judiciary, which
lasted for several months. Police tapped a conversation between
Batarelo and Canjuga in which they allegedly agreed to reduce
certain criminal charges and split bribes.
There has been no official confirmation, but it is speculated that
this was a continuation of an investigation which already resulted
in charges pressed by the Office for the Prevention of Corruption
and Organised Crime (USKOK) against 13 persons for smuggling more
than 2,000 tonnes of raw coffee, thus damaging the government
budget by 15 million kuna.
In this process, Batarelo is the defence attorney for one of the
indictees.
"If the police did tap my telephone, I believe they violated my
constitutional rights and this is an attack on the independence of
the attorney profession," said Batarelo.
"I am an attorney and my contacts with Canjuga exclusively referred
to my job as a defence attorney who wants to free his clients with
legal means," he said.
He added he had nothing to hide and did not fear transcripts of the
conversations being published.
Batarelo believes these are insinuations and the continuation of a
campaign against him which started when his friend Radovan Ortynski
was chief state prosecutor. Batarelo did not want to say who and why
wanted to "settle accounts" with him.
Last October the media wrote that Batarelo and Ortynski had
racketeered 60,000 German marks from a former tourism minister and
Batarelo's client, Ivan Herak, accused for malfeasance in economy.
Rebutting the claims at the time, Batarelo announced law suits
against the media.
Batarelo said Canjuga was a "good acquaintance", but that he had
even better relations with Chief State Prosecutor Mladen Bajic.
(hina) lml