ZAGREB, April 20 (Hina) - Croatian prime Minister Ivica Racan said he saw no need in apologising to Mate Granic because the Government had not initiated nor was carrying out investigation proceedings about the possible misuse of
official position by the former foreign minister. There is no need to apologise because the Government is not carrying this out, but the Foreign Ministry must investigate suspicions about irregular conduct in the usage of government budget funds, Racan told reporters Thursday. President of the democratic Centre party and former foreign minister Mate Granic asked for an apology from Racan and his successor Tonino Picula for a statement by the Foreign Ministry that police were probing a possible financial misuse of official position by Granic. Police are carrying out an investigation based on findings of state auditors and an anonymous report that Granic, while he was minister, had built a house in an
ZAGREB, April 20 (Hina) - Croatian prime Minister Ivica Racan said
he saw no need in apologising to Mate Granic because the Government
had not initiated nor was carrying out investigation proceedings
about the possible misuse of official position by the former
foreign minister.
There is no need to apologise because the Government is not carrying
this out, but the Foreign Ministry must investigate suspicions
about irregular conduct in the usage of government budget funds,
Racan told reporters Thursday.
President of the democratic Centre party and former foreign
minister Mate Granic asked for an apology from Racan and his
successor Tonino Picula for a statement by the Foreign Ministry
that police were probing a possible financial misuse of official
position by Granic.
Police are carrying out an investigation based on findings of state
auditors and an anonymous report that Granic, while he was
minister, had built a house in an elite part of Zagreb with
government budget funds.
Racan said he held information by the Foreign Ministry about
Granic's possible misuse of authority "was done in a bit of an
ungainly manner", and was bombasticaly interpreted in the media.
The Foreign Ministry is not involved in the campaign against the
President of the democratic Centre, Mate Granic, and he has no
reason to accuse the Foreign Minister and prime Minister for
sallying dignity and political obstruction, the Foreign Ministry
said in a statement issued Thursday.
"Nobody in the Foreign Ministry had any intention to hurt anyone's
dignity, even less to prejudge the results of an investigation
being carried out by the Ministry based on findings of the state
auditors and reports," the Ministry statement continued.
Zagreb's daily "Jutarnji list" and Rijeka's daily "Novi list" ran
stories Wednesday that police were carrying out an investigation
based on reports by the state auditor's office, as well as on the
basis of an anonymous report. The Foreign Ministry confirmed the
investigation was being carried out.
(hina) lml mm