Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic emphasized on Saturday that no one has been entrusted with a mandate or ministerial position to act unlawfully, stating that anyone who breaks the law must face responsibility and consequences.

Plenkovic made these comments regarding the actions of USKOK and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), which implicated now-former Health Minister Vili Beroš.

“It’s impossible to know everything. The only way would be to establish some sort of ‘Big Brother’ system, placing everyone in government under constant surveillance, with detectives reporting every action to me. Democracies don’t operate like that. People are entrusted to perform their roles lawfully, in accordance with their expertise, best practices, and the government’s program,” Plenkovic said after visiting the 46th International Book Fair Interliber at the Zagreb Fair.

He noted that he had been following the case through the media but found it peculiar that so many details had already surfaced publicly.

Asked whether EPPO or the Office of Croatia’s State Attorney General (DORH) has jurisdiction in the latest healthcare corruption case, Plenkovic explained that both USKOK and EPPO had apparently initiated parallel investigations.

“We anticipated such situations within our legal framework and established procedures for resolving jurisdictional conflicts. Clearly, both institutions wish to handle this case, and the process will now proceed under the authority of judicial bodies—not the government or parliament. This will resolve the jurisdictional question,” Plenković stated.

The Prime Minister reiterated his stance from Friday, condemning the corruption involving a group of individuals. “I dismissed the former minister immediately in the morning and appointed Dr. Hrstic temporarily to lead the Ministry of Health as one of three state secretaries. Consultations were held with the party leadership and the parliamentary majority. The conclusions were clear: our parliamentary majority will continue its work for Croatia. We expect all investigative authorities to fully uncover this case, which is unacceptable in every way, and to ensure accountability through judicial proceedings.”

Plenkovic added that after appointing Irena Hrstić to manage the Ministry of Health temporarily, political consultations were conducted. “These consultations confirmed the unity of the parliamentary majority in wanting this case thoroughly investigated. We unanimously condemn corruption, but this case will not affect our cooperation. We will continue moving forward. The opposition’s actions were expected. There will be a debate; we will present our arguments, and I believe we will align on the need to combat corruption. Meanwhile, the majority and the government will press on,” he said, referring to the Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) motion for a no-confidence debate.

When asked about a permanent appointment for the Minister of Health, Plenkovic said, “We’ll address that after this weekend and after commemorations for the victims of Vukovar and Škabrnja are concluded.”