ZAGREB, Sept 23 (Hina) - Croatian Democratic Union president Ivo Sanader said on Tuesday his claims that his, journalists' and the opposition's phones were tapped were well-founded, and that he had spoken about wiretapping as a form
of political fighting unacceptable in a democracy.
ZAGREB, Sept 23 (Hina) - Croatian Democratic Union president Ivo
Sanader said on Tuesday his claims that his, journalists' and the
opposition's phones were tapped were well-founded, and that he had
spoken about wiretapping as a form of political fighting
unacceptable in a democracy. #L#
"I made a political assessment and I didn't speak about illegal
activity," he told reporters, confirming that he had received chief
state prosecutor Mladen Bajic's call to present evidence for his
claims.
"I don't intend to hold political talks with Bajic. I will do so in
parliament."
As for Prime Minister Ivica Racan's claim yesterday that he was
saying untruths, Sanader recalled that two weeks ago, while
commenting on the alleged tapping of foreign diplomats' phones,
Racan had admitted to being a "poor personnel manager" when it came
to secret services.
Sanader said Racan had on that occasion announced an investigation
into the matter and had not denied the wiretapping. "If their
(foreign diplomats') phones were tapped, why shouldn't those of
opposition politicians and journalists be too," he said, adding
that one opposition politician had told him he had evidence of the
tapping.
Sanader went on to say he had been informed that the government and
the state prosecutor's office had held talks yesterday, "which is
why the chief state prosecutor reacted so promptly and invited me to
present evidence to back my claims".
Sanader said he could not reveal his source.
He asked the ruling coalition why civilian supervision over secret
services had still not become operational even though a supervision
council had been appointed in May.
Sanader asserted such supervision was evidently not in the interest
of parliamentary committees on the justice system and national
security "because the phones of both the opposition and journalists
are tapped".
"We are in pre-election time and we should all be interested in
finding out why the Council for the Supervision of Secret Services
is not working."
Responding to Croatian Peasant Party vice president Luka Trconic's
claim that he was talking nonsense, Sanader asked, "How does he know
that what I said isn't true".
(hina) ha