ZAGREB, June 21 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament on Friday morning endorsed a bill on foreigners in first reading, and began debating a bill on the criminal responsibility of legal persons.
ZAGREB, June 21 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament on Friday morning
endorsed a bill on foreigners in first reading, and began debating a
bill on the criminal responsibility of legal persons. #L#
Croatia has to adopt the latter law in compliance with a Council of
Europe convention on corruption, Deputy Justice Minister Miljenko
Kovac said.
The idea of the need to establish the criminal responsibility of
companies, for active bribery, trading with influence, and money
laundering, is becoming widespread in Europe, in line with Council
of Europe recommendations, said Kovac.
For legal persons which commit one of said acts, the bill envisages
the confiscation of economic gain, the public disclosure of the
verdict, fines between 5,000 and five million kuna (685 and 685,000
euros), and the closure of the company.
The benches of the ruling coalition's five parties endorsed the
bill.
The strongest opposition party, the Croatian Democratic Union,
objected to the expansion of criminal responsibility to include
legal persons nor "the introduction of elements of Anglo-Saxon
legislation," said bench president Vladimir Seks.
(hina) ha sb