Justice Minister Drazen Bosnjakovic confirmed on Tuesday that his ministry had received from the Serbian Justice Ministry on August 10 indictments against about 40 Croatian citizens and that, when he found out about them, he did not inform Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor because he did not consider them that important.
Speaking to the press before a session of the parliamentary Judiciary Committee, Bosnjakovic said he found about the indictments only when they arrived in court, adding that his ministry received them from the Serbian ministry through regular channels.
He said that happened on August 10, adding that the Justice Ministry received more than 4,000 requests for international legal aid daily, in both criminal and civil matters.
Bosnjakovic said the ministry department that dealt with those requests processed the case from Serbia and forwarded it to municipal courts, given that the request for legal aid consisted in the serving of those indictments.
Asked why he did not inform Kosor about the indictments, given that he informed one of the accused, Ivan Vekic, Bosnjakovic said: "Look, I didn't think it was that important. And I thought we would really deal with it by serving the indictments. And after that we will see. After that, if any other request for legal aid is made, regarding a hearing or a court action, under the law in force we have the right to decide if we will extend legal aid or not. This was a request for very restricted legal aid, only that the indictments be served."
Reporters asked for a comment on today's statement by Parliament Deputy Speaker Vladimir Seks, another indictee, who said the Justice Ministry made an omission because neither the minister nor the premier were notified about the indictments, and that Slobodan Calic, an advisor at the ministry, was responsible.
Bosnjakovic said many employees at the ministry were authorised to act in administrative proceedings, adding that the ministry dealt with many cases and that it was impossible for him to tackle every single one.
Bosnjakovic said he did not think he was responsible for omissions or that an omission was made in this case, as such requests were dealt with as in court - a case is put on the agenda and dealt with.
The parliamentary Judiciary Committee today unanimously endorsed the government-sponsored bill declaring null and void all legal documents of the former Yugoslav People's Army and the judicial bodies of the former Yugoslavia and of Serbia in which Croatian citizens were suspected, accused or convicted.
