Bacic told the press that the strongest opposition party, the Social Democrats (SDP), was nervous because various scandals involving its members were coming to light.

He said Kosor "has not set up a special team whose aim or task would be to make up scandals in the SDP," adding that Croatia had the police, the Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime, the State Prosecutor's Office and courts to detect, try and hand down sentences in criminal cases.

Bacic accused the SDP of statements below the level of polite political communication, saying they warranted a request to replace Zeljko Jovanovic (SDP) from the helm of the National Anti-Corruption Council.

Bacic dismissed the SDP's claims that Kosor was not credible in the fight against corruption, and called on the SDP to support the government's fight against corruption and all forms of crime.

Commenting on the SDP's claims that bribes in the Daimler case were received only between 2003 and 2008, Bacic said the HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) was "very interested in finding out as soon as possible which officials from the former (SDP-led Ivica) Racan cabinet received those bribes".

Asked if the recent return of former PM and HDZ leader Ivo Sanader to Croatia had shaken the party, Bacic said it had not.

Bacic said he did not know if some HDZ MPs were in touch with Sanader, and refuted claims by Nacional weekly that the inner cabinet had discussed Sanader's return, saying no inner cabinet meeting was held on Monday.