The President of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Jadranka Kosor, on Saturday commented on the dismissal of police charges against the SDP (Social Democratic Party) Mayor of Rijeka, Vojko Obersnel, in the case of Rijeka's fresh produce market operator Trznice Rijeka, saying that it showed that the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office (DORH) was in no way dependent on the HDZ.
Kosor was speaking to reporters after an election rally in Gospic. She recalled that senior SDP officials, including Slavko Linic in Globus weekly, had threatened to closely monitor the work of the DORH and courts and take their position accordingly, adding that since March 2010 there had been no information on the Trznice Rijeka case.
"We will continue to fight corruption and crime even though the opposition doesn't like it and to fight for the independence of the state institutions," Kosor said.
When asked to comment on the statement by SDP leader Zoran Milanovic that the Rijeka marketplace case was politically motivated, Kosor said it was normal for Milanovic to politicise the case, adding that the most important thing was that the charges were pressed by the police.
When asked to comment on the statement by Mayor Obersnel that Kosor and Interior Minister Tomislav Karamarko should show the minimum political decency and apologise now that the charges had been dropped, Kosor said: "We didn't criticise them, but only said that the police did their job and reported what had happened with the Rijeka marketplace. I suggest that Obersnel contact the Interior Ministry to see what it is all about."
