May 14 (SeeNews) - Croatia's economy minister and deputy prime minister, Martina Dalic, said on Monday she has agreed with prime minister Andrej Plenkovic to resign from both positions after leaked correspondence related to the restructuring of troubled concern Agrokor raised concerns she may have acted in conflict of interest.
"In this unbelievable array of circumstances surrounding Agrokor, it turns out that I have suddenly become a burden to the prime minister, the government, the civil democratic community and the ruling majority. I don't want to be that at all," Dalic said during a press conference in Zagreb, aired live by broadcaster HRT.
She explained that she has submitted an irrevocable resignation to the prime minister, following a meeting with him earlier in the day.
"I was given a political task to find a way to make sure that Agrokor's failure does not drag the entire economy back into recession," Dalic noted, adding that a solution was found that solved all the tasks set at the time.
"I did nothing wrong, nothing immoral, or, God forbid, illegal," Dalic stated.
However, according to members of opposition parties in parliament, emails leaked by news portal Index.hr showed that some of the experts whom Dalic contacted prior to the adoption of a law that put the state in charge of the indebted food-to-retail concern were later hired as advisors in the concern's restructuring. This gave grounds for criticism that she had acted in conflict of interest.
Earlier on Monday, members of Croatia's parliament from different opposition parties requested early elections after new emails leaked by Index.hr showed Plenkovic was also on the mailing list, suggesting that he knew of Dalic's correspondence.
Plenkovic last week denied being informed about his minister's correspondence.
According to Index.hr, Plenkovic advisor Dubravka Vlasic Plese received an email from Branimir Bricelj from Altera investment banking company, on behalf of the Borg Group, entitled Law on Emergency Management, in which Bricelj wrote "Attached is this mornings version (almost final)", just hours before the government adopted the law. The portal added, the Borg Group later "charged a hefty fee" for its role as an advisor in Agrokor's restructuring.
Last month, Dalic survived a no-confidence vote in parliament sought by the opposition over her role in the handling of the crisis in Agrokor.
On April 6 last year, parliament passed the special legislation on companies of systemic importance to shield Croatia's economy from big corporate bankrupcies. Earlier this month, the country's Constitutional Court said the law, popularly known as Lex Agrokor, complies with the constitution.