COMMITTEE SAYS NO TO FORMATION OF COMMISSION FOR 'PLAVA LAGUNA'

ZAGREB, April 12 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament's Committee on Tourism did not okay an Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) motion for the establishment of a commission of inquiry which was to probe the acquisition and sale of shares of "Plava Laguna", a hotel complex from the northern port of Porec. Committee members agreed on Wednesday the government should first pass a law on the revision of privatisation, in order to prevent parliament from getting lost in an inflation of commissions of inquiry when tackling individual cases. Committee chairman Valter Drandic, of the IDS, pointed to illegal activities and a lack of transparency in the privatisation of "Plava Laguna", which was done without a public bid for tenders and which disturbed state interests given that the complex's shares were state-owned. Committee member Dario Vukic, of the Croatian Democratic Union, said "Plava Laguna's" owner Andronik Luksic, one of the world's 100 wealthiest men, had invested DM100 million in the hotel complex. Vukic was against the establishment of a commission of inquiry for "Plava Laguna" because "it is not a good message to foreigners investing in Croatia." Drandic explained the IDS "has nothing against investors, but against state institutions which have committed certain irregularities." (hina) ha jn