Finance Minister Zdravko Maric on Wednesday rejected media reports about his alleged conflict of interest with regard to his trip on a yacht owned by his friend earlier this month.

Addressing a news conference in Zagreb, the minister declined to reveal the identity of his friend who owns the boat, and specified that the owner concerned used neither tax breaks nor a loan from the Croatian development bank (HBOR) and no tax debt was forgiven to him during Maric’s ministerial term.

The minister said that the friend concerned had given him permission to reveal his identity, but Maric did not want to do so.

He also elaborated that during the recent vacation, he had spent most time onshore and travelled on the yacht only for a short period.

The Croatian conflict of interest commission is yet to decide whether it will open a case against Minister Maric concerning his stay on his friend’s yacht.