Croatian President Ivo Josipovic said on Wednesday he had no intention whatsoever of replacing his security advisor, Sasa Perkovic, due to media speculations that he could be in conflict of interest should an investigation be launched against his father, Josip Perkovic.
Josipovic refuted as untrue allegations published by today's Novi List daily, which cited official sources in the government, that his security advisor Sasa Perkovic could be sacked over his possible conflict of interest concerning Lex Perkovic.
Two days before joining the European Union, Croatia passed a law on judicial cooperation with EU member states in criminal matters, limiting the application of the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) to crimes committed after 2002. The law is colloquially known as Lex Perkovic.
Sasa Perkovic is not doing anything concerning or working on the said case. This case, should there be a case at all, will be in the hands of the judiciary. I have already said that nobody should be responsible for the sins of their parents, Josipovic said.
"In short, I have no intention whatsoever of replacing my security advisor," Josipovic said.
He also said that the going into force of amendments to the law on the EAW was "a matter of agreement with the European Union."
Asked if it was sufficient for the amendments to be adopted in the coming weeks and put into effect in July 2014, as Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic had announced, Josipovic said this was a matter of agreement with the EU and that there should not be a fuss about it.
