ZAGREB, April 18 (Hina) - High officials and deputies at the Croatian National Sabor on Tuesday commented on an article in today's issue of 'Nacional' weekly, according to which the late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and Ivic
Pasalic, a high official of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), had in 1997 reportedly discussed the sale of "Vecernji list" daily. Showing reporters the record of a working meeting President Tudjman held with officials on December 27 1997 at the Presidential Palace, Parliament President Zlatko Tomcic said that "more detailed statements can be expected after I study the material which I was sent early this afternoon." Josko Kontic, chairman of a parliamentary commission of inquiry in charge of establishing the circumstances of the sale of Vecernji List, said he was called yesterday afternoon by President Mesic who told him that he had new documents shedding new light on the V
ZAGREB, April 18 (Hina) - High officials and deputies at the
Croatian National Sabor on Tuesday commented on an article in
today's issue of 'Nacional' weekly, according to which the late
Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and Ivic Pasalic, a high official
of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), had in 1997 reportedly
discussed the sale of "Vecernji list" daily.
Showing reporters the record of a working meeting President Tudjman
held with officials on December 27 1997 at the Presidential Palace,
Parliament President Zlatko Tomcic said that "more detailed
statements can be expected after I study the material which I was
sent early this afternoon."
Josko Kontic, chairman of a parliamentary commission of inquiry in
charge of establishing the circumstances of the sale of Vecernji
List, said he was called yesterday afternoon by President Mesic who
told him that he had new documents shedding new light on the
Vecernji List case. That is very interesting information, of
course, if those documents are authentic, and we will have to
investigate that, Kontic said, adding he would meet Mesic this
evening. He also announced that he would call a new session of the
commission, which should be held behind closed doors.
Ivic Pasalic told reporters claims made by Nacional were
fabrications.
"It is interesting that such pieces, which remind of some weird
times, are being made up, instead of making known the record of the
session of the Defence and National Security Council (VONS), which
does exist. Why don't they publish that instead of these
fabrications," Pasalic said, adding he could not remember the VONS
session which discussed Vecernji List.
According to the 'Nacional' article, which includes the transcript
of a conversation between Tudjman and Pasalic on December 27 1997,
the transcript was retold to a Nacional reporter by a person close
to the Presidential Palace and had been written according to
notes.
Most HDZ MPs who were asked about the Nacional cover did not want to
comment on it or said "they have not read the newspapers today."
Vladimir Seks said he had inquired about the sale of Vecernji List
on several occasions, but never received any answer and did not
remember where he had made the inquiries.
Damir Kajin of the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) said "it is
probably true that the decision on who to sell Vecernji List to was
made at the Presidential Palace."
The President's advisor on internal affairs, Igor Dekanic, did not
want to comment on the Nacional article.
(hina) mm rml