Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said on Tuesday that the announced amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act, aimed at preventing information leaks from court files, do not apply to the media, and freedom of reporting will continue to be guaranteed. Pročitaj više

“Indisputably, the media are not the subject here,” Bozinovic told the Nova TV commercial broadcaster when asked about the comments by some experts that the announced changes to the Criminal Procedure Act are an attempt to attack freedom of the media.

On Monday, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic announced amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act and the Penal Code so that, as he said, things from the case files would no longer be divulged uncontrollably and intentionally.

Bozinovic says that freedom of the media and reporting are guaranteed and should remain so.

“The media are not the subject of any future investigations and interrogations, they are here to inform the public of all information available to them,” said Bozinovic about the announced legal amendments.

He, however, underlined if the investigations are not public and if there is a restriction on the participants in the procedure – the state attorney’s office, suspects and their lawyers – then it is assumed that this is the circle in which this information should circulate.

Bozinovic also commented on the arrests of five police officers in the last two weeks throughout Croatia and said that it was a question of clearing up negative situations within their own ranks.

“The police are known for being rigorous towards their members, towards those who do not act in accordance with the rules, and there is no tolerance. In order to have the public’s trust, the police must show they do not tolerate such behaviour within their ranks,” he said.

Today, following a police report, the anti-corruption office Uskok launched an investigation against the head of the police station in Sisak, Marijan Detelic, suspected of influence peddling.

“He is no longer chief, and the question is whether he will continue to be a policeman,” Bozinovic said, adding that he cannot speak in advance about what the investigation will show.