ZAGREB, July 12 (Hina) - A Croatian parliamentary commission of inquiry on Wednesday evening concluded that there had been numerous irregularities during the sale of the daily "Vecernji List" and that the regularity of the purchase
had thus been brought into question, but this commission will not demand the annulment of the sale. The commission, set up by the Sabor to clarify murky conditions under which the Croatian daily with the highest circulation was sold, finished its three-and-a-half-month-long work. There was no money laundering in the purchase of "Vecernji List", but there are serious indications that then Croatian senior officials and politics interfered in the case, namely there are elements of the abuse of office, the commission's head, Josko Kontic, told reporters on Wednesday evening. The commission will not motion that charges be pressed nor will it sugg
ZAGREB, July 12 (Hina) - A Croatian parliamentary commission of
inquiry on Wednesday evening concluded that there had been numerous
irregularities during the sale of the daily "Vecernji List" and
that the regularity of the purchase had thus been brought into
question, but this commission will not demand the annulment of the
sale.
The commission, set up by the Sabor to clarify murky conditions
under which the Croatian daily with the highest circulation was
sold, finished its three-and-a-half-month-long work.
There was no money laundering in the purchase of "Vecernji List",
but there are serious indications that then Croatian senior
officials and politics interfered in the case, namely there are
elements of the abuse of office, the commission's head, Josko
Kontic, told reporters on Wednesday evening.
The commission will not motion that charges be pressed nor will it
suggest the annulment of the sale. It will forward its report and
conclusions to the State Attorney's Office, the Interior Ministry
and the State Audit.
The commission will make it possible for the aforementioned bodies
to decide independently whether it is necessary to withdraw the
contract on the sale which the Croatian Pension Fund (HMO), which
sold shares of the daily, and a firm "Caritas Fund", which bought
them, had concluded during the Christmas and New Years holidays
1997-1998. This fund was, shortly before the purchase, registered
on the Virgin Islands.
Kontic added that the commission would ask the Government to define
clearly and precisely provisions and acts regulating the publicity
of the ownership in the media and announced the commission would
submit its report to the national parliament on Thursday.
The commission will not ask that adequate action be taken against a
Sabor Deputy Speaker, Ivic Pasalic, for his refusing, while he was
questioned by the Commission, to reveal the name of a person who
allegedly told him that the office of the incumbent Croatian
President Stjepan Mesic was forging transcripts of conversations
the late President Tudjman had held with his aides.
(hina) ms