RADIC REFUTES 'JUTARNJI LIST' DAILY ALLEGATIONS

ZAGREB, Dec 29 (Hina) - Croatian Development, Immigration, and Reconstruction Minister Jure Radic on Wednesday entirely refuted allegations in "Jutarnji List" daily which said he had used Croatian Army (HV) property for electoral purposes. Today's front page read "Jure Radic Leading HDZ Campaign from HV Helicopter," while an article on page three carried the headline "Radic, Pavlovic, Separovic, and Rojs Use HV Helicopter for Tour". A statement issued by the Development, Immigration, and Reconstruction Ministry said the allegations were entirely untrue because, it added, Minister Radic took special care to separate his ministerial tasks from electoral ones during campaigning for impending parliamentary elections. "The allocation of flats to Homeland War invalids is not pre- electoral campaigning, nor is the inauguration of construction works on the airport in Korcula, nor the beginning of construction works on the Ploce ring-road. (...) Radic together with Ministers Pavlovic and Separovic and Assistant Defence Minister Rojs used a helicopter to go only to those three events," said the statement. Due to the possibility that it might be wrongly interpreted, Minister Radic did not attend his party's pre-electoral rally in Ploce which took place immediately after the inauguration of works on the ring-road, the statement said. It added Radic travelled by bus to rallies in Makarska and Metkovic the same day. (hina) ha mm