ZAGREB, Feb 28 (Hina) - Croatia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Andrija Hebrang, said in an interview with Saturday's issue of Vecernji List daily that the threatening letter he had recently received
was part of an orchestrated campaign launched against him by people threatened by the fact that upon his appointment as Health Minister he had stopped many illegal financial deals.
ZAGREB, Feb 28 (Hina) - Croatia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
Health and Social Welfare, Andrija Hebrang, said in an interview with
Saturday's issue of Vecernji List daily that the threatening letter he
had recently received was part of an orchestrated campaign launched
against him by people threatened by the fact that upon his appointment
as Health Minister he had stopped many illegal financial deals.#L#
"The campaign started with attacks in the media, fabrications,
misquoted statements, and attacks on me as a politician and person.
The source of those attacks are circles whose illegal activities I
have cut short. As Health Minister I have stopped numerous financial
transactions which were illegal and those who were affected by that
have launched the campaign. When they realised that they could not
stop me, they resorted to threats," Hebrang said.
Asked to comment on public opinion polls, which show that the
incumbent government was considered very positive, while he as its
member was rather unpopular, Hebrang said that he received a large
number of letters supporting his efforts to establish the rule of law
and fight corruption.
Asked which options he would propose to replace the current additional
pension insurance plan, Hebrang said
the plan could be left to the market, separated from the Health
Insurance Agency and organised as a legal institution, or abolished.
He said he believed that the second option was the most acceptable and
that the rights of underprivileged citizens would always be
protected.
The minister said that budgetary funds for the health sector totalled
680 million kuna, which was 30 percent more than last year, and that
initiated projects would be given priority on condition they were
based on the law.
(Hina) rml sb