Epilogues of parliamentary investigation of accusations against five Croatian journalists in case Gotovina
The Council for supervision of security services of Parliament, has sent me a letter on 10 of March, in which was said that in their investigation, and marking mutual Preissue (Memorandum) of five journalists, was defined that our human rights were violated reasonlessly. The Council has sent that inference to the Committee for internal politics and national security.
On Thursday 15th, the Committee has draw a conclusion that there was founded doubt that our human rights were violated, but POA (counterintelligence service) didn’ t make any illegal steps. By the Parliamentary report in 2004., POA didn’t secretly supervised Ivica Djikic, Marijo Kavain, Ivanka Toma and Zeljko Peratovic, but by tracking foreign citizens under suspicion of being foreign spies, POA has overheard Gordan Malic. But, Malic is only «collateral damage», as in some previous statements said even President Stjepan Mesic.
He said that he had to compare the report he was presented with and the recent media reports stating that some reporters were placed under surveillance by the POA during the term of former POA chief Franjo Turek.
Asked if he believed that reporters were intentionally misinforming the public to obstruct Croatia’s integration with the EU, Mesic said that there was no such plan, but that reporters often presented unverified information.
Mesic’s statement
Nevertheless, the Committee has sent its report to the Office of Council for national security, on which also President Mesic called upon, when he at the end of 2004. asked for resignation of Josko Podbevsek, in case Puljiz, and to principal state attorney Mladen Bajic.
It is still not clear to me why are the reports of investigation has been sent to principal state attorney, if the conclusion was that Turek hasn’ t made any illegal steps. Mladen Bajic has received in 2003. POA’ s report about my «disinformations» that Gotovina was on vacation on island Kaprije, near Sibenik. Turek was regularlly informing Bajic, also other members in high state functions, about his operative activities in tracking of work of ICTY, right Croatian intelligence undreground, and several of us journalists, about spreading disinformations about Gotovina. POA has sent such kinds of informations to Bajic more than it were in widely known Turek’s presentation to Stjepan Mesic, Ivo Sanader, Vesna Skare Ozbolt and Marijan Mlinaric. Based on that informations, principal state attorney could in 2003. or 2004. conclude, that Turek is illegaly spying on us or that he is violating our human rights, by unsolidly slandering us for being collaborators of foreign secret services, of ICTY and that we are spreading disinformations about Gotovina.
Ivan Jarnjak, Tomislav Matijevic and Tomislav Karamarko
Except that my human rights were violated, I did’ t get the answers from my Memorandum, did POA at the end of last year opened my letters (the letter of President of Parliamentary Committee for human rights Furio Radin). Why I still have in POA the file which was filled in after 90-ties?
The Parliament did’ t answer me also did POA and Military security service spy on me in 2003., in time of my writings about Gotovina’s habitations in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
If my human rights were violated by Franjo Turek’s statements that I was spreading disinformations that Gotovina was in Croatia, does that mean that Parliament says that my information was right, or only that I had right to write about possible habitations of fugitive general?
Because of lots of other unclearness and feeling that I still did’ t get the satisfaction, with help of attorney I will ask for new oppinions of Parliamentary Council for human rights and Public attorney of Croatia.
I will also prepare statement of claim against UPI and Washington Times, because I have at least the official confirmation that I’ m not the spy of MI-6.
I also plan to sue Republic Croatia for endangering of human rights.
This conclusions of Parliamentary Committee, on whose head is prominent member of ruling party HDZ, Ivan Jarnjak, did not make any better the situation of my human rights. My texts about problem of secret services are still not publishing, situation about Gotovina, investigations about war crimes, organized criminal activity.
So, my writings, from the side of Government of Ivo Sanader, are still considered as «disinformations which could damage the interests of Croatia».
I don’ t think that I’m damaging the interests of Croatia if I warn that for entering in EU (which is proclaimed interest of Croatia) is bad because somebody from the government (neverthless if that is Mesic, Sanader, Bajic or Karamarko) submited British non paper with suggestions how disable the net of Gotovina’s helpers.
I think that Carla Del Ponte is right when she says that she gives the informations to the Croatian government about Gotovina and his helpers, and at the same time the informations leak to Gotovina and his net, and end up in medias which support him Nacional and Hrvatski list.
I’ m afraid that investigation about spying and slandering of Croatian journalists will be used only for accusation against Franjo Turek, that he obstructed the work of ICTY.
Ivica Djikic in Feral Tribune, number 1017. warns that agents of Tomislav Karamarko prepare accusing suggestion against Turek, and that accusation should be of use for the government as an evidence for fully cooperation with ICTY (without to detect, arrest and deliver Ante Gotovina). Supposedly, the government believes that with the accusation against Turek will get inclination of Carla Del Ponte and EU and in June or July we might start the negotiations with EU.
If the government concentrates only on sacrifising Franjo Turek, and not do anything to check informations is Gotovina moving in area Middle Dalmatia-Lika (Udbina)-Grahovo-Glamoc-Livno-Western Herzegovina, I think by the summer Carla Del Ponte will have negative oppinion about full cooperation with ICTY.
By my informations, the tactics of waiting for fugitive general to cross from Croatia to Bosnia, after what the Croatian government will inform EUFOR, who will than arrest him in helicopter landing operation, even now appears to be failure.
Gotovina’s lobby – retired generals Ante Roso, Markica Rebic, brother Boro Gotovina, Zeljko Dilber, Ante Zoni Maksan and others from his net, stimulate bad mood against the government of Ivo Sanader – distribution of posters and leaflets with support to Gotovina, establishing new association of war invalids, which will lead anti ICTY demonstrations…
Boro Gotovina even publicly threats to everybody to suffer adversity if the fovernment set off on his brother.
I don’ t know why public shouldn’ t know that investigation about POA and five journalists was of the most benefit for Tomislav Karamarko, who by its conclusions, gets more and more power in Croatian intelligence community. Government, the President’s Office, and Parliament already unofficialy considering his lawful suggestion to establish again Office for national security, which would control the work of military and civilian agency. Karamarko intends to abolish Intelligence agency (former HIS) and attach it to POA.
On the other side, the investigation about POA, was of benefit for Sasa Perkovic, who at the middle of 2004. had to leave the job of chief’ s assistant of Intelligence agency under pressure of Premier Sanader, and with some of his movements helped to fugitive tycoon Hrvoje Petrac.
When Gordan Malic’s text appeared in Globus that Franjo Turek was accusing Sasa Perkovic and his father Josip Perkovic for cooperating with former chief of police Ranko Ostojic, without waiting the results of Parliamentary investigations, President Mesic appointed Sasa Perkovic for his adviser for national security. Circles close to President’ s office say that Sasa’s father is now known high functionry of Yugoslav secret police (UDB-a) Josip Perkovic, made such influence on President Mesic, that he asked to his son in law Darko Grdic, employed in Croatian mission in NATO, become new chief of Headquarters of military forces of Republic Croatia.
By sources close to government of Ivo Sanader, Josip Perkovic intruted himself for main adviser of Tomislav Karamarko on planning actions of POA, by which should be shown that Croatia is doing all in its power to implement full cooperation with ICTY.
I’ m critical about that scenario because I think that is antilustrational.
Franjo Turek didn’ t commit most of his sins only by his own guilt, but it was order from the politics. Intelligence agents who drew benefit now are not better than him, even they have much bigger professional stains in the past.
Punishing Turek will not get Croatia any closer to Europe, or bring reversal in political manipulations of secret services. On the contrary, this is only another one in the queue of manipulations.
