LUZAVEC:I WAS REPLACED TO SATISFY "COURT INTRIGUES"

ZAGREB, Aug 17 (Hina) - Former maritime affairs minister Zeljko Luzavec on Tuesday claimed that the reason for his dismissal was not due to his supposed responsibility for the recent traffic collapse due to the construction of the Pag bridge but rather to satisfy "court intrigue", by some high ranking political officials. Luzavec personally accused Reconstruction Minister Jure Radic, European Integration Minister Ljerka Mintas-Hodak the president's advisor for the interior Ivic Pasalic, and former Privatisation Minister Milan Kovac as responsible for his dismissal. "The Ministry for Maritime Affairs, Traffic and Communications and I are not responsible, or rather should not be held responsible as we did everything we could to set up the Jadrolinija and Pag bridge ready for traffic", Luzavec said. He explained that Jadrolinija ferried did not run exclusively due to decisions made by their commanders as they considered that travel during the Velebit winds could be hazardous to passengers. "The fundamental cause of the traffic collapse is due to the Croatian Administration for Roads which railed to maintain the Pag bridge, which is the reason I requested the dismissal of its director Aleksandar Caklovic twice in the past two years", he said. He considered it interesting that Caklovic was then defended by minister Jure Radic who's portfolio does not involve Croatian roads. However, Radic and Caklovic were affected by the fact that we were bringing some order in the field of road construction, claimed Luzavec. Caklovic and Radic were also involved in some shady deals with the Zagreb-Rijeka highway. Luzavec claimed he had informed the president of the republic of the matter. However, Luzavec considers the main reason for his dismissal refers to the "Croatia Line" company and the bone he had to pick with its director Dario Vukic. Despite the catastrophe he caused in this company, "Vukic was backed by some very high ranking government officials - Ljerka Mintas-Hodak, Ivic Pasalic, Milan Kovac and other heads of the privatisation fund", Luzavec said. "The Government granted "Croatia Line more resources than all other shippers put together, however, this aid was worthless because it only went to salvage Vukic and not the company", he said. He said that he deliberately did not wish to design even though he was aware that Minister Mintas-Hodak had offered his job up for grabs. "I believe that the Croatian National Parliament which appointed me should be responsible to dismiss me, however, I am convinced that the majority of the parliament would reject my replacement. I had hoped that I could have survived the "court intrigue", but it looks like I was wrong", concluded Luzavec. (hina) sp