The Office of the Chief State Prosecutor of Croatia (DORH) and the Croatian National Bank (HNB) on Tuesday confirmed that Chief State Prosecutor Mladen Bajic and Governor Zeljko Rohatinski on Monday held talks with Rolf Holub, chairman of a Carinthian parliamentary commission investigating the Hypo Bank scandal.
Holub announced some more visits to Croatia, primarily to Pula, to investigate Hypo Bank operations in Istria.
Sources at the Croatian central bank said the Rohatinski-Holub talks were conducted in accordance with the Croatian-Austrian agreement on cooperation in legal matters and focused on the exchange of information on Hypo Bank operations in Croatia.
The HNB declined to give any more information, citing confidentiality of the ongoing inquiry as the reason.
Holub was quoted by the Austrian news agency APA as saying that Rohatinski was willing to answer in writing questions to be asked by the Carinthian commission.
"This is very important to us," Holub said, adding that the commission would like to know why the HNB initially opposed the acquisition of Hypo Bank by Bayerische Landesbanke (BayernLB) in Croatia only to eventually okay that move.
While the Austrian authorities seem unwilling to investigate the alleged unlawful financing of political parties, the Croatian authorities are prepared to do so.
"The Croatian authorities are beyond any doubt willing to investigate Joerg Haider (the late Carinthian Governor) and the FPO party, but they need a request from Austria to that effect," Holub said commenting on his meeting with Bajic.
The Austrian politician said that former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader was mentioned during the talks.
"There are two sides, the banking and the political side. I think that Wolfgang Kulterer (former Hypo Bank CEO) opened the door in terms of economy, while Haider opened the door on the political level," Holub said, adding that it remained to be seen who of the politicians was involved and to establish Sanader's role in BayernLB's acquisition of Hypo Bank.
