Former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said on Wednesday that his conscience was clear, while questioned by the Carinthian parliamentary commission of inquiry for the Hypo Bank, the Austrian news agency APA said.
Sanader, held in extradition custody in Salzburg, was being questioned via video link by commission members in Klagenfurt. The questioning was organised by the district court in Klagenfurt.
In his introductory speech about the Hypo Alpe Adria Bank, Sanader said that his conscience was clear and that he had never asked for or received any money or kickbacks.
More than 15 television crews from Croatia and Germany arrived in Austria to cover Sanader's questioning.
The inquiry commission was expected to question Sanader primarily about political influence on the Hypo bank's operations. According to the media, politicians were involved in the business operations of the Hypo Bank in Croatia and its sale to the Bayern LB in 2007.
For the purpose of questioning, Sanader was placed in a specially equipped room of the Salzburg prison complex, prison governor Dietman Knebel was quoted by APA as saying. He said that given that Sanader was not suspected of any violent crimes, the questioning was monitored in the room by only one police officer and Sanader's lawyer was also allowed to be present.
