Social Democratic Party (SDP) parliamentarian Slavko Linic has welcomed the announcement from the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) that it will support the SDP motion to set up a commission of enquiry to establish all facts concerning the conclusion of an amended agreement between Croatia's INA oil company and Hungary's MOL in 2009 provided that the scope of the commission's work is expanded to include the start of INA's privatisation in 2002.
HDZ deputies find it strange that the then outgoing government led by Ivica Racan of the SDP decided in 2002 to privatise INA, which they say had made a profit of HRK 350 million at the time. The HDZ criticises the privatisation model under which MOL, as a strategic partner which acquired 25 per cent plus one share in INA, was granted extensive management rights.
Responding to this criticism, Linic told the press in the parliament on Wednesday that the HDZ kept blaming the coalition government led by Racan for all its errors and failures.
He pointed the accusing finger at the HDZ for "destroying INA, thwarting its development since 2003, and turning it from an oil and petroleum products manufacturer into an importer of petroleum products".
With regard to HDZ accusations against SDP member Zeljko Jovanovic, Ingrid Anticevic Marinovic of the SDP described them as ridiculous.
HDZ MP Frano Matusic accused Jovanovic of exerting political influence on state institutions investigating alleged irregularities in the Rijeka-based Trznice Rijeka company and the Rijeka city government.
The HDZ calls for replacing Jovanovic as chairman of the national council supervising the implementation of the counter-corruption strategy, accusing him of obstructing the investigation in this white-collar crime case.
