Lesar told reporters in the Parliament building he had asked the government to amend the law regulating the rights and duties of state officials and the law regulating the rights and duties of members of the Croatian Parliament.

"I have found that both laws say that if a state official or an MP is held in investigative custody or prison or is serving a prison term of up to six months is entitled to full pay as if he were working," Lesar said, saying that such practice was an example of inequality before law.

Lesar said that under the Labour Act, if a worker ends up in investigative custody, his employer immediately denies him his wages and has no obligations towards the worker other than paying minimum pension and health contributions for him.

Citing the case of former MP Branimir Glavas, who has fled to neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina to escape a prison sentence for war crimes, Lesar said that Glavas had all along been receiving pay as a parliamentary deputy "under the laws which are unfortunately still in force in Croatia."

He also cited the case of Ivo Sanader, former prime minister who continued as an independent MP, saying that although Sanader had told the media he was not receiving pay as a parliamentary deputy, he could activate that right, especially since his assets have been blocked after he was arrested in Austria on Friday in connection with a corruption investigation.

"I think the government should introduce the amendments under fast-track procedure as part of its fight against corruption," Lesar said.