ZAGREB, March 17 (Hina) - In the past five years, Croatia paid, through the Justice Ministry alone, about US$9 million to two law firms for which David Rivkin, Croatia's representative at The Hague courts, was working, and it still
owes some US$760,000, Croatian Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic said in Zagreb on Thursday. "In the past five years Croatia paid over US$9 million through the Justice Ministry to the law firms Rivkin was working for, and it still owes some US$760,000", Ivanisevic told a press conference which was also attended by the US attorney. I have no direct knowledge of other fees for the services of the law firms Rivkin worked for, Ivanisevic added. According to Ivanisevic, the engagement of Rivkin's firm on behalf of Croatia will as of now be in status quo, until the new Croatian government forms a strategy on relations with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former
ZAGREB, March 17 (Hina) - In the past five years, Croatia paid,
through the Justice Ministry alone, about US$9 million to two law
firms for which David Rivkin, Croatia's representative at The Hague
courts, was working, and it still owes some US$760,000, Croatian
Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic said in Zagreb on Thursday.
"In the past five years Croatia paid over US$9 million through the
Justice Ministry to the law firms Rivkin was working for, and it
still owes some US$760,000", Ivanisevic told a press conference
which was also attended by the US attorney.
I have no direct knowledge of other fees for the services of the law
firms Rivkin worked for, Ivanisevic added.
According to Ivanisevic, the engagement of Rivkin's firm on behalf
of Croatia will as of now be in status quo, until the new Croatian
government forms a strategy on relations with the International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
The minister said the document should be drafted in about two
weeks.
Rivkin, who spent almost three hours in talks with Ivanisevic
yesterday afternoon, tried to relativise the costs Croatia paid to
his law firms. He said a medium-sized US law firm faced with legal
problems which Croatia was faced with would have spent the amount in
question in a year's time.
Rivkin dismissed a recent claim by a former foreign minister Mate
Granic, who said he had signed only one contract with Rivkin, in
1995. The US attorney said this was not true, and added Granic had
signed four contracts with his former firm 'Hunton and Williams',
the last one in July 1998. Although it was speculated that he was
hired by a former defence minister Gojko Susak, Rivkin said this was
not true because the contract on representation before The Hague
Tribunal had been signed by Granic at the office of Croatia's
permanent representative at the U.N. in New York.
Ivanisevic said some new contracts between Rivkin's firms and
Croatia have come up, however, they do not regulate the entirety of
relations with the US attorney, because most of the engagement is
based on direct powers of some Croatian officials. "Not everything
is covered by the contract," Ivanisevic said, refusing to reveal
any details.
(hina) mm rml