ZAGREBACKA BANK AD UNPROFESSIONAL & DANGEROUS PRECEDENT - HND

( Editorial: --> 9660 ) ZAGREB, Oct 19 (Hina) - The Zagrebacka Bank ad for a one million kuna (US$176,000) reward for discovering the source which gave "Jutarnji List" daily information on the Tudjman family's bank accounts is an "unprofessional and extremely dangerous precedent," the Croatian Journalists' Society (HND) assessed on Monday. This "Zagrebacka Bank public wanted poster is, even in our conditions, a call to public lynching unseen to date," assessed a HND statement. It is indisputable that publishing confidential data is a breach of the banking business code, the HND said, but also pointed out that Zagrebacka Bank had at its disposal many other methods of protecting its interest. "With their behaviour however, they have endangered the life of the journalist, as well as brought into question the value system of a democratic society," the HND assessed. "When information legally protected as confidential is made public, the public will be the only judge to assess whether it is a question of confidentiality or abuse. Particularly so when the information refers to public figures who in a democratic society have an extremely limited privacy," said the statement signed by HND president Jagoda Vukusic. (hina) ha jn 191815 MET oct 98