"The first task is to stop the leaking of information from prosecutorial bodies to the criminal milieu and this will now certainly be done. The information leaks to the criminal milieu will definitely be stopped," he told reporters when asked to comment on reports that the police anti-corruption office (PNUSKOK) had found 50 kilos of secret police files in an apartment of criminals.

Asked to comment on an initiative by the Centre for Peace Studies to amend the law to step up the civilian controlof secret services and the police and to stipulate that phone records can be obtained only with a court order, Josipovic said modern control measures were very sensitive in terms of human rights but one could not do without them and they must be applied.

"The current scant provision in the Police Law, when it comes to phone records, should be amended. I'm for judicial and civilian control that would bring trust in the use of such measures. Information leaks from prosecutional bodies to the mob must not be allowed," said the president.

Asked to comment on central bank governor Boris Vujcic's criticism of the government's economic policy, Josipovic said Croatia was in a crisis and that working on changes should be more active, but noted that work was under way on big investments and that the opening of a new prospect was in sight.

"We must realise that overcoming the crisis isn't a matter of one move or month. It's a long process in which the government plays the leading role."