The DC chief told a news conference in the town of Vinkovci on Saturday that she expected the Economy Minister, Branko Vukelic, whom she believes to be involved in these murky dealings, to step down.
Skare-Ozbolt also criticised Prime Minister Ivo Sanader for having allowed that the Brodosplit scandal discredited his cabinet and the entire Croatian legal system.
"Ivo Sanader personally decided who would sit on the Brodosplit Managing Board," she told reporters.
An investigation has been launched into the management and the supervisory board of the Brodosplit shipyard, on orders from the Split County Prosecutor's Office after an anonymous report accused the company management and supervisory board of causing damage to the company amounting to at least USD16 million, local police officials reported in mid-September.
Three months ago, the police submitted a report to the Split County Prosecutor's Office stating that no evidence of financial wrongdoing had been discovered in the Split-based company, after which the investigation continued at the request of the County Prosecutor's Office due to mysterious money flows from Brodosplit to Austria. Interpol joined in the investigation.
In the meantime the case has taken on a political dimension when officials from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) started levelling accusations against PM Ivo Sanader, particularly after the replacement of the chairman of Brodosplit's Supervisory Board, whom the media described as the main culprit in the case.
Asked about the allegations in a recent interview with Croatian Radio, PM Sanader said that he had requested a prompt investigation as soon as the case was discovered. He added that possible criminal activity in Brodosplit should be investigated and the perpetrators punished.
During the prime news programme of the Croatian Television (HTV) on Friday evening, Economy Minister Vukelic vehemently dismissed allegations about his involvement in the case.