"I absolutely reject any insinuations and speculations that any institution, in this case the police, has made any omissions in its work. Quite the contrary, the Interior Ministry acted in accordance with the law," Kosor told reporters when asked to comment on the request to strip Sanader of his parliamentary immunity and on his departure from the country.

Kosor said that every member of the Croatian Parliament enjoys immunity and that none of them may be detained until their immunity has been lifted by Parliament.

When asked if Parliament could have reacted faster this morning, Kosor said she did not know when exactly the Speaker of Parliament was notified that the investigation had been launched.

Chief State Attorney Mladen Bajic sent a written notification to President Ivo Josipovic and me at about 10.30am, she said, reiterating that she did not know when such a letter had arrived in Parliament.

Kosor said that she and her Cabinet were constantly promoting the independence of state institutions such as the State Attorney's Office, making sure that all citizens were equal before the Constitution and the law.