Following claims by former presidential adviser Mate Radeljic that the Security and Intelligence Agency (SOA) was involved in his dismissal, the Office of President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic said on Saturday that no pressure had ever been exerted on anyone to resign.
“The Office of the President of the Republic most resolutely dismisses the malicious claims that pressure was ever exerted on anyone to resign, either directly or indirectly. In practice, only one signature is enough for an official to be dismissed or appointed at the Office, which makes the claims that it was necessary to inappropriately involve any third party all the more absurd and untrue,” the President’s Office said in a statement.
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It added that the President chooses her aides according to her policy goals and in the belief that they will perform their duties professionally and honourably, both during and after their term in office.
The President said she also expects all relevant services to follow the rules, laws, guidelines and professional standards in their work.
The President’s Office announced in a press release on Friday morning that Mate Radeljic had been relieved of his duties as a domestic policy adviser.
On Friday evening, Radeljic said in a press release that the SOA had threatened him and that he was told by the President that he did not fit into her plans because he was an obstacle in her relations with the Prime Minister.
The SOA promptly dismissed his statement, saying that it operates in accordance with the constitution, the pertinent laws and the annual guidelines on the operation of the security and intelligence agencies adopted by the National Security Council.