ZAGREB, April 25 (Hina) - In an interview in Tuesday's Croatian Radio programme "Meeting the President Over A Cup of Coffee," President Stipe Mesic confirmed the existence of the transcript and tape recording of a conversation between
the late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and former Finance Minister Borislav Skegro, both of which have been forwarded to the Interior Ministry. Commenting on a statement made today by Skegro, who denied that he had transferred US$100 million of budgetary money to the account of an Irish bank as a bribe in the sale of Croatian Telecom (HT), Mesic said he "did not say that Skegro had transferred budgetary money. Perhaps that was the money of the Croatian Diaspora," he said. Asked what members of his office were looking for and what materials they have discovered at the Presidential Palace, Mesic said they were "not looking for anything actually, they are only classifying the material." "What is cons
ZAGREB, April 25 (Hina) - In an interview in Tuesday's Croatian
Radio programme "Meeting the President Over A Cup of Coffee,"
President Stipe Mesic confirmed the existence of the transcript and
tape recording of a conversation between the late Croatian
President Franjo Tudjman and former Finance Minister Borislav
Skegro, both of which have been forwarded to the Interior
Ministry.
Commenting on a statement made today by Skegro, who denied that he
had transferred US$100 million of budgetary money to the account of
an Irish bank as a bribe in the sale of Croatian Telecom (HT), Mesic
said he "did not say that Skegro had transferred budgetary money.
Perhaps that was the money of the Croatian Diaspora," he said.
Asked what members of his office were looking for and what materials
they have discovered at the Presidential Palace, Mesic said they
were "not looking for anything actually, they are only classifying
the material."
"What is considered important either for criminal proceedings or
for the politics is one thing, and what is important for history is
something else, that will go to the archives and we will not deal
with that," he said.
Asked whether he knew if there had been plans on forming a
commission to investigate his testimony before the Hague war crimes
tribunal, Mesic said the papers had carried everything he had said
in The Hague. My testimony is not mentioned in any context in the
sentence imposed on General Tihomir Blaskic, Mesic said, adding he
had spoken about the politics, preparations for the war, and
Tudjman's misconceptions about the division of Bosnia-
Herzegovina.
Asked to comment on claims regarding the reorganisation of the
Foreign Ministry and possible replacements in embassies, Mesic
suggested that all who had professionally carried out their duties
and were useful to Croatia be retained.
Mesic also said he still had not decided about a proposal for the
appointment of a new Croatian Intelligence Service (HIS) director,
nor had the head of the National Security Office (UNS), Tomislav
Karamarko.
(hina) mm rml