"We definitely have no interest in the publication of witness statements, we have said that a hundred times, nor do we have any interest in the publication of evidence that is supposed to incriminate us. It is a very narrow circle of people who can provide such documents to the media and therefore tomorrow we will ask the court for protection," lawyer Cedo Prodanovic said.

As for the alleged video footage showing Sanader with MOL board chairman Zsolt Hernadi in a Zagreb restaurant in which they reportedly agreed commissions for Sanader in exchange for MOL's dominant role in INA, the lawyer Prodanovic said that the video was yet another act of manipulation of the public.

The video proves absolutely nothing because it was recorded four months after the incriminating event, Prodanovic said.

Another member of the Sanader defence team, Jadranka Slokovic, said that the video footage was inadmissible as evidence.

It is our position that the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor (DORH) should react and begin penalising the revelation of statements just before main hearings and the revelation of witnesses from preliminary investigations. We deem that DORH must take action, or it will compromise the entire trial, Slokovic said.

Sanader's trial for the Hypo bank case will continue at 0930 hrs on Friday at the Zagreb County Court with the questioning of witness Nikica Valentic, who was Croatia's Prime Minister in the mid-1990s. In this case, Sanader is charged with abuse of office and powers in 1994 and 1995 when, as Deputy Foreign Minister, he conducted negotiations with the Austrian Hypo bank and allegedly took 7 million Austrian schillings, or HRK 3.6 million, in bribes for a loan agreement.

Mate Granic, who was Foreign Minister at the time relevant to the indictment and whom Sanader's defence describes as the main negotiator in the talks with the Austrian bank, will testify on 11 November.

Sanader's lawyers today declined to say what they would ask Granic, whose connections with Hypo bank, they claim, could be proved by the fact that he had agreed lucrative consultancy business with that bank after he stepped down as Foreign Minister.

As for the health condition of their client, the lawyers said today that despite medication therapy, he was still suffering from high blood pressure.

Last week's arraignment was postponed for today due to Sanader's health problems. He was hospitalised over the last weekend for medical testing and on Monday he was transferred back to the Remetinec prison where he has been remanded since his extradition from Austria this July.

Today's arraignment in the Hypo bank case was broadcast live because of huge public and media interest. Tomorrow's hearing will not be broadcast.

Apart from the Hypo bank loan case, Sanader is under investigation in a few more corruption-related cases.