INTERIOR MINISTER: SZUP WAS NOT INVOLVED IN SOCCER AFFAIR

ZAGREB, June 8 (Hina) - The Service for the Protection of Constitutional Order (SZUP) is not involved in the developments concerning soccer, as is being insinuated in the press, Croatian Interior Minister Ivan Penic said on Tuesday during question time in the Croatian National Sabor's House of Counties. Refusing the insinuations with indignation, Penic said, "I strictly follow the procedure, which is extremely important in the work of the Interior Ministry (MUP) and the SZUP, and we operate in accordance with the Constitution and law". Vilim Herman of the Croatian Social-Liberal Party (HSLS) and Ivan Ninic of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) asked Penic if he had been given consent by the President of the Republic for tapping reporters' and referees' phones, and if he had more time for raiding the offices of the "Nacional" weekly or for discovering organised crime. Who do you support - the Constitution, the party you belong to, or some soccer team, Herman asked Penic. The last issue of the "Nacional" published "not only a series of fabrications, because to describe it as fabrications is too mild, but a series of disgusting lies", Penic said adding this especially referred to the claim that the President of the Republic had allegedly given an order to the MUP and the SZUP regarding soccer. "Never, absolutely never did the President issue such an order to the MUP or the SZUP", Penic said. The Nacional weekly has published some documents which represent a state secret, which constitutes a series of criminal acts committed by both those who had given the documents and those who published them. "We have come close through our investigation to several persons and we will press charges against them", he stressed. Asked by MP Ninic about the tapping of referees' phones, Penic reiterated he followed the procedure in his work. That work was subject to control, he said, calling on the Office for National Security's control department to supervise SZUP's activities. The Interior Minister announced that he would submit a reply in writing on measures taken by Croatia concerning an attack on two reporters of the Rijeka-based daily "Novi list", which occurred in Mostar in early May. Several inquiries concerned the current situation in the economy, especially in banks. Zvonimir Sabati (Croatian Peasants' Party, HSS) wanted to know whether depositors would be given back their insured foreign currency savings by the banks which were undergoing bankruptcy procedure. Those savings amount to three billion kuna and the revised budget envisages only one third of the amount, Sabati said. All insured savings will be returned, Premier Zlatko Matesa said, recalling that there were 52,000 such depositors in the Zupanjska Banka alone. Asked by Dragan Papac (Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ) about companies which had business relations with the Zupanjska Banka, Matesa said trustees in bankruptcy and the bankruptcy council should see that the obligations of all those companies are rescheduled. The Government believes that emphasis should be put on agriculture and accompanying processing facilities, Matesa said answering a question by Petar Cobankovic of the HDZ. The reconstruction of industrial facilities depends on programmes which will enable their successful operation, he stressed. (hina) rml