GOVT. MOVES STEPS TO PROSECUTE CRIMES IN PRIVATISATION

ZAGREB, May 23 (Hina) - The Croatian government on Thursday announced a series of measures, especially legislative ones, to harshly prosecute and punish criminal activities and persons who committed them in privatisation processes. The government recommended that parliament reject the State Audit Office's first report on privatisation audits and request it be amended. #L# The government does not want statute of limitations for crimes committed in privatisation, said Prime Minister Ivica Racan. In its Conclusions on the State Audit Office's report, the government evaluates that the audit was not carried out entirely in compliance with the law, particularly as regards naming persons who committed criminal acts in privatisation. The government assesses the State Audit Office's approach uneven and inconsistent. In its Conclusions, the government binds the Justice Ministry to move amendments to a series of laws within a month's time in order to facilitate the prosecution of privatisation-related crimes. The Conclusions point to the need of establishing appropriate prosecution and statute of limitation deadlines for said crimes. The Finance Ministry has been entrusted with amending tax laws in order to enable the additional taxation of property of private persons who acquired said property illegally through privatisation. The government bound the State Audit Office to launch the establishment of responsibility of persons at the Restructuring Agency, the Croatian Privatisation Fund, and the ministries. The State Prosecutor's Office has been entrusted with giving priority to proceedings related to privatisation audits and with establishing the connection and possible organisation of crimes committed in privatisation. (hina) ha sb