He said he had addressed this matter with President Stjepan Mesic two months ago at a meeting attended also by representatives of the state leadership, relevant ministries, the State Prosecutor's Office and the State Audit Office.
"The maturity of a democracy is measured by the seriousness with which it approaches suppression of bribery, corruption and organised crime," Sanader said, adding the government would continue to be determined in dealing with those issues, aware that they could never be completely eradicated.
Asked if he, Interior Minister Ivica Kirin and the State Prosecutor's Office had received threats on account of that, Sanader said this was neither the first not the last threat and that despite that, neither he nor the state leadership would be obstructed in making sure that the rule of law and state institutions functioned.
Sanader said he was discussing similar issues with statesmen in Europe and that their countries too were fighting organised crime, bribery and corruption.
"That cannot be entirely eradicated in the most modern and most developed democracies," he said, reiterating that no threats or threatening letters would stop him in that struggle.