ZAGREB, Feb 12 (Hina) - Former Finance Minister Mato Crkvenac on Thursday denied accusations levelled against him by the Customs Workers' Union, saying that no one had been unlawfully employed in customs or the finance ministry during
his term of office.
ZAGREB, Feb 12 (Hina) - Former Finance Minister Mato Crkvenac on
Thursday denied accusations levelled against him by the Customs
Workers' Union, saying that no one had been unlawfully employed in
customs or the finance ministry during his term of office.#L#
"I claim with full responsibility that all job applications were
publicly invited, and that we upgraded the personnel structure because
we employed in management about 20 percent of people with college
education given that customs lacked personnel with university
qualifications," Crkvenac said.
The Customs Workers' Union has pressed charges against Crkvenac and
former finance ministry secretary Goranka Bulj for abuse of office and
powers, unconscientious work and the forging of official documents.
Crkvenac said today that all employment decisions had been forwarded
to the justice ministry, and that applicants for 113 management posts
in customs had been examined by expert commissions.
The best candidates were not chosen by party affiliation, the former
minister said, citing the example of Anton Uljar of the Croatian
Democratic Union (HDZ), who had been appointed head of customs.
Crkvenac said that with the HDZ's recent coming into power, political
instead of professional criteria were once again being applied in
public administration.
(Hina) ha sb