Benko on Thursday responded to attacks which Osijek lawyer Drazen Matijevic yesterday levelled against the local police chief Vladimir Faber accusing him of exerting pressure on witnesses in a war crimes case against his client Glavas.
Benko said the accusations were groundless and that Faber "enjoys full confidence from the police directorate as he performs his duty in a competent, conscientious and professional manner".
Benko said the police express their dissatisfaction with attempts to discredit certain police officials in the public only with the aim to affect the ongoing criminal proceedings which have entered a stage when the police have no say in the matter.
On Wednesday, the Osijek lawyer Matijevic handed out to reporters photos of Faber meeting another lawyer, Radoslav Arambasic, in a city cafe.
Matijevic interpreted Faber's meeting with Arambasic, who used to be a defence attorney for another suspect from the war crimes case involving Glavas, as the police tampering with witnesses. Arambasic's former client, Gordana Getos Magdic, suspected of war crimes in the so-called Sellotape case with Glavas being the principal suspect, is mentioned in the media as a possible witnesses against Glavas in the case.
Meeting lawyer Arambasic, the Osijek-Baranja Police Chief Vladimir Faber has not violated rules of the police profession or any law of Croatia, Benko said in a statement.
The crime investigation (in the Sellotape case) was carried out by the police in compliance with the law and all pieces of evidence were collected in accordance with the Penal Code Act, Benko said responding to the lawyer's claims.
Besides, whether evidence is valid is a matter to be estbalished fduring the further course of the criminal proceedings and the police can no longer influence that, Benko recalled.
Twenty one councillors in the 47-seat county assembly of Osijek Baranja have signed a motion asking for the replacement of the Osijek Police Chief Faber.
The county chairman, Damir Resetar, said on Thursday that the motion would be sent to the Ministry of Interior Affairs if the county assembly supported the initiative.
The initiative was launched by representatives of the regional HDSSB party, whose leaders are close aides of Glavas, and by representatives of its coalition partner in the county, the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP).
They say that they are dissatisfied with the Osijek police performance and with attempts by Faber to influence criminal proceedings against Glavas.
Faber was appointed the Osijek Police Chief two years ago and since then h has intensively been working on probes in war crimes in this eastern Croatian city in 1991.