Croatian PM To Fire Two Ministers in Show of Intolerance to Organised Crime

The move came hours after an unknown assailant shot dead the 26-year old daughter of a famous Zagreb lawyer just several hundred metres away from the main Zagreb police office. A number of cases of beatings and intimidation of prominent journalists and corporate officials in the last few months have remained unsolved.  

"We will not allow organized crime to create the impression in the public that it can do whatever it wants with no punishment [...] therefore we will most decisively fight organized crime and mafia.  I’ll propose to parliament to dismiss the ministers of internal affairs [Berislav Roncevic] and justice [Ana Lovrin]," Sanader told a news conference.

"By these resolute staff changes we want to make clear that we will settle accounts with organised crime, with all those who in one or another way suggest that Croatia is a mafia country, a country of organized crime," Sanader added.

The premier said he will also sack the head of the country's police force, Marijan Benko.

Monday's victim, law intern Ivana Hodak, is daughter of Zvonimir Hodak, a lawyer of former army general Vladimir Zagorec, who is under arrest for suspected pocketing of diamonds worth $5.0 million during Croatia’s independence war in 1991-1995.

European Union candidate Croatia is fighting corruption and organized crime to remain on track for wrapping up accession talks with the European Union next year. The Adriatic country started membership negotiations in October 2005 and hopes to join the bloc around 2011.

The centre-right coalition government led by Sanader took office in the middle of January this year.