ZAGREB, September 26, 2018 – Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Tuesday he expected the authorities to fully investigate “absolutely everything” in the latest “fabricated text messages” affair. He was responding to questions from the press before a meeting of his HDZ party’s parliamentary group.
Asked to comment on media reports that HDZ deputy president Milijan Brkić was linked to the affair, which Brkić has denied, Plenković recalled that six months ago “alleged texts” between him and then economy minister Martina Dalić were published and “presented as some very important evidence.”
“You didn’t have to be some forensic expert in modern technologies to see that it was fabricated information, just as it turned out to be. As for this affair, I expect the relevant authorities to investigate it fully. Absolutely fully,” said Plenković.
Former Interior Ministry IT expert Franjo Varga has been placed in custody on suspicion of making false texts for football mogul Zdravko Mamić. According to the media, he allegedly told the USKOK anti-corruption agency that his services had been used also by former HDZ president Tomislav Karamarko and Brkić.
Asked what would happen if it turned out that Karamarko and Brkić had used Varga’s services, Plenković said: “We’ll see. I really don’t know. At this stage, I don’t know.”
Plenković said he tried to call Brkić, who is out of town. “I tried to call him. We failed to get in touch. There will be time. I see no particular problem.”
HDZ deputy president and Deputy Parliament Speaker Milijan Brkić said on Tuesday evening that “manipulators” exploited the USKOK probe and the fact that he knew a former employee in the interior ministry, IT expert Franjo Varga, only to make up a lie that he used Varga’s services for alleged internal wrangling in the ruling party.
Brkić told in a statement to Hina that claims about him having asked Varga for such kinds of services “are the fruit of someone’s ill-intentioned imagination.” Brkić said that all he knew about this case was what he saw in media.
Asked about claims by Branimir Glavaš, a parliamentary deputy and the HDSSB leader, that the mastermind of the plan for the announced protest rally in Vukovar was Brkić, the HDZ deputy president responded that Glavaš was again deceived by his old friends.
Brkić said he could understand Vukovar residents dissatisfied with war crimes prosecution, however, he does not believe that this issue can be resolved by taking to the streets. It is state institutions that are supposed to do their part of this job, he added.
