Police chief case

Lesar asks that interior minister come to parliament

25.05.2011 u 11:53

Bionic
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Immediately after it started, Wednesday's session of the Croatian parliament was adjourned at the proposal of the Opposition, after MP Dragutin Lesar requested that Interior Minister Tomislav Karamarko come to today's session and inform the deputies why he had not relieved of duty Chief of Police Oliver Grbic.

Given that he is scheduled to attend a session of the parliamentary National Security Council anyway, Lesar asked that Karamarko come to parliament and explain why he had not relieved Grbic who, according to Lesar, comitted a crimne which involves not reporting a criminal activity.

He recalled that several days after being accused by Damir Polancec that he had proposed to the HDZ to file anonymous charges against Opposition leaders, Grbic said that Polancec had asked him to stop the investigation in the Spice case.

"Polancec committed a crime and Grbic should have arrested him immediately and press charges against him, but he failed to do so, which means he committed a crime as well," Lesar said.

Lesar also recalled that Karamarko said that he had full confidence in Grbic, adding that the minister should explain to deputies if this meant that the police had actively joined the election campaign.

Parliament Speaker Luka Bebic told Lesar he could request that Karamarko show up in parliament, warning him however that it was not good to be the judge and the prosecutor "because we don't know if the crime had been committed and it is not in our jurisdiction to establish that".

After Lesar made the request, Zoran Milanovic asked for a recess on behalf of the SDP, to consult with deputies about the agenda. The motion was backed by the HNS/HSU group, the HDSSB party, the IDS and the HDZ.

Damir Kajin of the IDS asked that Prime Minister Kosor come to parliament and explain her statement that the executive authrotiy needs to agree who can be prosecuted, saying that this represented the abuse of institutions par exellance".