The director-general of the HRT public broadcaster, Goran Radman, said on Friday that he would not resign after the parliamentary Conflict of Interest Commission found him to be in conflict of interest, adding that he would no longer tolerate the conspiracy against the national broadcasting company which he claimed was being conducted by politicians and interest lobbies as well as reporters who cover the HRT's performance.
Following such accusations at a news conference at which they expected Radman's resignation, a majority of reporters left the conference 10 minutes after it started.
The parliamentary Conflict of Interest Commission decided on Friday that Radman was in conflict of interest because he failed to specify all his property in his declaration of assets, including a hotel in Slovenia. On July 2, Radman formally asked the Commission whether in his declaration of assets, which he had submitted on June 3, he had to list all his property, noting that the declaration form did not provide clear instructions as to whether property abroad should also be included. Citing the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act, the commission's chairwoman Dalija Oreskovic said that office holders were required within 30 days of taking office to report on the duties they performed either in a professional or non-professional capacity and the duties they had performed immediately before taking office and to declare their assets and those of their spouse or partner and underage children.
Radman told today's news conference that he had honestly acquired all his property before he was appointed the HRT director-general.
He insists that his omission to declare his property should not be viewed as evidence of him being dishonest as "it is information available to public".
"Our message to everybody is that we will not tolerate any longer the conspiracy against the HRT, and we will do our best to put an end to it and to reveal all protagonists inside the HRT and outside who have been taking part in the continuous disparaging campaign against the HRT for ten years," Radman said.
Radman added that he would not step down of his own accord.
"The Croatian parliament has appointed me and the parliament can relieve me of duty," he said.
Later in the day, Croatian President Ivo Josipovic said that it was up to the relevant agencies that appoint and relieve to decide on Radman's destiny.
When asked by reporters whether Radman could any longer perform his duty as the HRT director after the findings of the Conflict of Interest Commission, the president said that it was up to the competent bodies to have their say.
"The relevant bodies for conflict of interest cases, the said commission and possibly the Administrative Court, as I believe this is now within its remit, will have a say and accordingly, other bodies managing the HRT will make the right decision," Josipovic said.
