Attorney Ante Nobilo, who represents former deputy prime minister Damir Polancec, said on Saturday it was absurd that the Croatian Bar Association (HOK) has begun disciplinary action against him over his interview in the latest edition of Globus magazine, adding that in the interview the only thing he did was publicly respond to the media campaign launched agaimst his client whom he will at all cost.
"It is absurd that I am being criticised for doing my job and defending my client," Nobilo told Hina adding that it was also absurd that he learned about the disciplinary action against him from the media, instead of being informed about it by the Bar Association.
HOK president Leo Andreis confirmed on Saturday that disciplinary action against Nobilo was launched on Wednesday, after HOK received the latest issue of Globus.
"We initiated disciplinary proceedings already on Wednesday, after receiving a copy of Globus, because we believe his interview is not in line with the Bar's code of ethics and statute and the law on legal practice," Andreis told Hina in a telephone interview.
He declined to discuss possible sanctions against Nobilo.
The toughest sanction under law is disbarment, but Andreis said it was unlikely in this case.
Nobilo said in the interview with Globus that investigators were trying to narrow the investigation of Polancec in order to protect government officials and force Polancec to testify against former prime minister Ivo Sanader.
Leaders of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party said on Friday Nobilo's statement was in violation of the Bar's code of ethics and represented a form of pressure on the judiciary. Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor reiterated this view on Saturday.
