Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Thursday that he had no time to deal with the case of Domovinski pokret (DP) MP Stephen Bartulica, who explained through a law firm that he makes his daily living with money from his mother.

“I don’t have time to deal with this. I’m focussing on our election campaign. It is only important that we support ballot number five with the best candidates,” Plenkovic told reporters, referring to the upcoming European elections.

According to media reports, Bartulica has bought a three-storey house and a garden on the island of Prvic for €300,000. According to his asset declaration, he and his wife earn €3,600 a month, leaving them with just €38 to live on after monthly payments of €3,562 for two loans.

On Wednesday, Bartulica said through a law firm that he covers his daily living expenses with money from his mother.

Plenkovic said he saw no need to comment on the coalition partner and his ideological statements.

“We haven’t interfered before and we can’t. DORH is an independent judicial body”

He said he was confident that the issue of the chairmanship of the Parliamentary Committee on Human and National Minority Rights could be resolved soon. The DP insists that the chairman should not be Milorad Pupovac, chairman of the Independent Democratic Serb Party.

“We will clarify this issue, just as we have clarified everything. In my opinion, this is not an issue,” Plenkovic said, adding that he did not know if this was just part of the DP’s campaign.

He was also asked whether State Attorney-General Ivan Turudic received Slavko Linic, Branko Segon and Tihomir Kralj for talks on his initiative, as reported on Wednesday by the State Attorney’s Office (DORH). The journalists asked whether this was the “better communication” that Plenkovic had previously spoken about.

“I have nothing to do with that, neither with the meeting nor with the communication. I welcome anything that can help DORH communicate more regularly with the public, regardless of the topic.”

He dismissed suggestions that the government was involved. “We haven’t interfered before and we can’t. DORH is an independent judicial body that operates in accordance with the Constitution and the law.”