The Croatian Democratic Union 1990 (HDZ 1990) of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday denied claims by Mladen Barisic, a former treasurer of Croatia's HDZ, that he had earmarked HRK 1.2 million kuna from the HDZ coffers for the HDZ 1990 in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"The HDZ 1990 has never been given any financial support from the HDZ in Croatia, either at its establishment or during election campaigns. Actually, I have never personally met Mr. Barisic," the HDZ 1990 leader Bozo Ljubic was quoted as saying in the HDZ 1990 press release.
Ljubic stated that neither the Croatian Office for the Suppression of Organised Crime (USKOK) nor the Bosnian State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) had contacted him to give his response to Barisic's testimony.
Ljubic said that he was not acquainted with Barisic's depositions in their entirety but that he only heard or read segments of Barisic's statement, as cited in the media.
During the trial of the former Croatian premier and HDZ leader Ivo Sanader and others, including Barisic, in the Fimi Media case in Zagreb, Barisic's depositions were read out in court according to which Sanader ordered him to secure HRK 1.2 million for the HDZ 1990 party and give it to Ljubic.
The SIPA confirmed on Wednesday that it had started a preliminary investigation into those claims.
