ZAGREB, Dec 6 (Hina) - Miroslav Kutle has most resolutely denied that he has ever had a conversation with anyone about his repentance, Kutle's attorney Anto Nobilo said on Wednesday.
ZAGREB, Dec 6 (Hina) - Miroslav Kutle has most resolutely denied
that he has ever had a conversation with anyone about his
repentance, Kutle's attorney Anto Nobilo said on Wednesday. #L#
The 'Nacional' weekly yesterday reported that Kutle, who has been
in the custody of the Zagreb investigating prison since February
for white-collar crime, had decided to talk about an alleged plan to
form an illegal media cartel.
According to the 'Republika' daily and Nacional, that plan was
devised by the president of the Europapress Holding management
board, Ninoslav Pavic, OTV television station co-owner Vinko
Grubisic, media magnate and tycoon Miroslav Kutle, and Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ) politician Ivic Pasalic. According to the
same source, these men signed a partnership agreement under
pseudonyms. Pavic and Grubisic were arrested on Monday evening
whereas the person behind the third pseudonym has not been
identified yet. The Croatian media have dubbed the affair the Grupo
affair.
Asked while leaving the courtroom whether he would repent, Kutle
said, "Nonsense will always be published." If he repents and
testifies, Kutle can be freed of charges in the latest case.
Nobilo said he had visited his client at Zagreb's prison in
Remetinec this morning.
Nobilo claims that Kutle had dismissed all speculations regarding
his alleged intention to repent, claiming that Kutle had never
formed any association with Pavic, Grubisic and the still
unidentified person, with the aim to commit criminal acts, and that
the act they were suspected of, association to commit criminal
acts, had never been committed.
About ten days ago Kutle sent a letter to Justice Minister Stjepan
Ivanisevic saying it was morally completely unacceptable for him to
be used for "trading information relevant for the fate of currently
politically unsuitable persons."
Nobilo claims the whole affair is obviously a planned and organised
media manipulation. He also estimates that it is a major police-
intelligence operation, the aim of which can only be guessed.
"I do not know if putting such feelers out is a way of encouraging
some of the suspects to possibly repent their actions, but that is
yet to be seen."
Today's issue of the 'Globus' weekly, the flagship publication of
Pavic's Europapress holding, claims that this is a campaign with
two goals: the publisher of Republika and Nacional wants to
eliminate rival papers and the authorities want to get hold of
Pasalic through Pavic.
Commenting on the secret partnership agreement, a copy of which was
published by Republika, Nobilo said it should be taken with
reservations as no one had had access to the original nor was it
known if it existed.
"In the worst case, it could be a preparatory activity by business
people trying to become dominant in the media market, and it is only
natural that they want to expand and grow stronger as well as that
they associate with that aim," Nobilo said.
Nobilo said the defence had not been presented any evidence that the
agreement had been implemented, i.e. that the suspects had formed
an illegal media cartel.
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