"Attorney General Zlata Hrvoj-Sipek said at a hearing before the parliamentary council monitoring the implementation of the strategy for the prevention of corruption, that she was not under pressure from the prime minister," state agency Hina informed the public on Wednesday.

Speaking at a hearing, called to investigate possible political influence on the Office of the Attorney General (DORH), Hrvoj-Sipek said that the prime minister only has the kind of information that under the law he is entitled to have.

“The prime minister does not have any information he is not entitled to have, and the same goes for the president of the republic,” she said, adding that there was only pressure “by certain lobbying groups” and people “who think they know everything about everything.”

Hrvoj-Sipek said that she had thought about whether to respond to the council’s request for a hearing at all but that eventually she decided to come out of respect for state institutions. “I had hoped that persons with information on the pressure would be here as well, but there is evidently no surprise,” Hrvoj-Sipek said.

After her 30-minute introductory address, the attorney general was expected to answer questions from members of the anti-corruption council as well as other interested members of parliament.

Council chair Nikola Grmoja of the Bridge party told Hina earlier that he had requested the hearing so that Hrvoj-Sipek could answer questions on possible government influence on DORH.

“I requested the hearing so that she could answer questions about Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic’s phone calls to her and possible government influence on DORH,” he said, recalling that the prime minister had admitted to having phoned Hrvoj-Sipek with regard to a possible investigation into Defence Minister, Mario Banozic.

As an independent institution DORH must treat all citizens equally, regardless of their political status, influence or financial power and that is why it is important for the attorney general to answer questions that have been raised recently, Grmoja said.