'No info any proceedings have been launched against Sanader in Austria'

"We are in touch with the Austrian Justice Ministry, but we have no data about any indictment having been issued. Neither we nor the Austrian ministry possess such information that any legal proceedings have been initiated," Bosnjakovic said at the news conference at which he presented the ongoing reform of the Croatian judiciary.

He said that in case that Austria issued an indictment against Sanader, who is held in extradition custody in Salzburg, this would certainly have an impact on his handover to Croatia.

According to the minister, several institutes including international legal aid, bilateral agreement with Austria or the institute of the European arrest warrant with the expedited extradition procedure are available to Croatia in this case.

"However, all of that can be now only speculated. The ministry has so far done all it should do. We are awaiting a hearing on 27 December (in Austria), and I would not now speculate any longer," the minister said.

Asked whether his ministry and European Union representatives had already discussed Sanader's accusations that the proceedings against him in Croatia were politically motivated, Bosnjakovic answered in the negative.

"The Justice Ministry has not talked with EU representatives about that. We have a series of reforms which we discuss and represents (...) I do not think that Croatia is perceived as a country which conducts politically-motivated processes," the Croatian official said.