POLICE ALREADY HAD ONGOING PROBE INTO MEDIA CONTROL ATTEMPTS -PM

ZAGREB, Dec 5 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan dismissed claims a police investigation into a partnership agreement among media moguls and politicians had been initiated after the "Republika" daily made the copy of the agreement public Monday. "The police did not begin the probe after the publishing of the document in 'Republika'. This is a coincidence. The investigation has been underway for some time and we cannot be held accountable for the writing of any newspaper even if it could hurt the investigation," Racan told reporters following Tuesday's question time at the Croatian National Parliament's House of Representatives. In its first issue, the Republika daily on Monday published a copy of a partnership contract among influential people in the media and politics, Ninoslav Pavic, Miroslav Kutle, Vinko Grubisic and Ivic Pasalic. "I hope this will not be a subject for the media in this way. It will be the subject of an investigation," Racan said. We must keep our heads on our shoulders and leave it up to state institutions to do their job and prevent the unmerciful media battle which is transcending, as he put it, some dangerous frontiers. (hina) lml jn