CROATIA SIGNS EUROPEAN ANTI-CORRUPTION CONVENTION

ZAGREB, Sept 16 (Hina) - Croatia on Wednesday signed the European anti-corruption convention, state adviser at the Croatian Ministry of Justice Zeljko Horvatic told a government session on Thursday. Horvatic headed a Croatian delegation which took part in the drafting of the convention at a session of the Council of Europe committee for crime issues. The convention came into force at the beginning of this year, and has to date been signed by some 30 countries. Council of Europe signatory-countries bind themselves to mutual cooperation in uncovering, preventing, and punishing all forms of corruption of domestic and foreign state officials, responsible parties in economy, and entire staffs of international organisations and international courts. Horvatic announced the convention will be signed by the United States, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Belarus, and the Vatican. State attorney Berislav Zivkovic said the State Attorney's Office recorded several hundred crimes involving corruption in the last five months. In 12 percent of the cases the State Attorney's Office launched investigations, in ten percent pressed charges, and in seven percent of the cases the charges were dropped. Assistant Interior Minister Zeljko Sacic said an analysis of the "great corruption affairs in Croatia" would indicate that corruption was closely tied with organised crime. In the first six months of this year, 308 crimes involving corruption have been recorded, Sacic said, adding the majority refers to abuse of office and authority. Asked about the scale of corruption in Croatia, Horvatic said it "is more widespread than it should be in a state ruled by law, but less than in other transition countries." (hina) ha jn