CRO MINISTER CLAIMS HIS SALE OF SHARES COINCIDED WITH BANK AFFAIR

ZAGREB, July 12 (Hina)- Outgoing Public Works Minister Radimir Cacic on Friday claimed that he had been trading for months through his broker in his shares in Rijecka Banka even before the scandal in the bank of March 4, 2002 broke out, and it was purely coincidental that he sold his shares shortly after the bank's chief stock jobber admitted to the illegal sale of foreign currency and an inspection in the bank started. #L# Cacic further said that his ministerial position was not incompatible with his trading in shares. According to a declaration of assets Cacic submitted upon taking his duty as the Public Works Minister, he and his wife had not owned Rijecka Banka shares. "I co-operated with a broker who bought and sold shares on my behalf, including shares in Rijecka Banka, even before we found out about the illegal dealings in the bank," Cacic said. The minister was commenting on media claims about a report submitted to the parliament by the Commission for Securities, which noted that Cacic sold his shares after the affair in Rijecka Banka was disclosed. Cacic claimed that if he had known about the affair he would have sold all of his shares and not only a portion because he ended up losing around 80,000 euros. He accused journalists, saying they should have checked to see who sold the shares only in the three days following the affair, and not inquire who traded in shares at the time. The report to the Sabor was submitted after MPs demanded the names of people who had sold their shares to Rijecka Banka shortly before and after the affair broke out, "salvaging" their shares at the expense of the state budget. (hina) sp rml