Guenter Striedinger, a former member of the Austrian Hypo Alpe Adria Bank management board, has said that his cooperation with Croatian general Vladimir Zagorec and the Croatian state was based on estimates that he was an influential officer and Croatia a state with a future.
Striedinger, who is under investigation for his role in the bank, has told Austria's news agency APA that he does not believe he will be arrested like the bank's former CEO Wolfgang Kulterer.
In the interview released on Friday, Striedinger justified his previous cooperation with Zagorec with the fact that Zagorec was a high-ranked officer when they met in 2004 and that he had heard only good things about him and Croatia.
Striedinger refuted allegations that he established the Sambuca company in Liechtenstein, which is being linked with Zagorec and was allegedly used to launder money for Hypo Bank.
Striedinger said his business ties with Zagorec were strictly in keeping with his office, and voiced hope that the State Prosecutor's Office would disclose information on bank accounts to prove his claims.
He said the claims that Hypo had cooperated with war criminals were being made by people who had no clue and who did not want to report on the matter seriously.
Striedinger said that after Hypo entered the Croatian market via the Leasing Kaernten company, Kulterer got in touch with the then Croatian Foreign Minister, Mate Granic, and his deputy Ivo Sanader via Granic's then Austrian counterpart Alois Mock. He added that Granic and Sanader strongly encouraged Hypo to come to Croatia.
Striedinger said the two officials claimed that Croatia was a promising country and that it would do its utmost to enable Hypo Bank's arrival, adding that the then governor of the Croatian central bank did the same.
Striedinger said those were genuine statements of support which the bank accepted, adding it was difficult to set up a bank in a foreign country without the consent of its central bank and the ruling party.
Striedinger said it was difficult to understand what was happening with Hypo Bank now, adding the whole case had a political background.
Striedinger and Kulterer are part of a group under investigation in Austria on the suspicion that they unlawfully used preferred shares during a 2004 injection of fresh capital in Hypo Bank. Striedinger is also suspected of enabling money laundering together with Zagorec.
