Croatia's Sanader sacks ministers after shocking daytime murder

07/10/2008

The Croatian government vowed to step up its fight against organised crime following a Mafia-style murder in Zagreb on Monday that prompted Prime Minister Ivo Sanader to sack his interior and justice ministers.

(Javno.hr - 07/10/08; Reuters, AFP, AP, DPA, BBC, B92, HRT, Javno.hr - 06/10/08)

A gunman killed Ivana Hodak in her apartment building's stairwell, not far from police headquarters. [AFP]

Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader fired his interior and justice ministers and the head of the national police Monday (October 6th), pledging to crack down on organised crime in the country. He made the announcement just hours after a gunman murdered the daughter of a prominent lawyer in broad daylight in downtown Zagreb, about 100m from a police station.

Speaking at an urgent news conference Monday evening, Sanader told reporters he would ask parliament to approve the sacking of the interior and justice ministers, Berislav Roncevic and Ana Lovrin, as well as of national police chief Marijan Benko.

He named Tomislav Karamarko, a member of his Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) who currently heads the Security Intelligence Agency, as his new interior minister and former deputy foreign minister Ivan Simonovic as Lovrin's successor. Veteran police officer Vladimir Faber is to replace Benko as head of national police.

Lawmakers are widely expected to support Sanader's proposal for the dismissal of the three officials following the Mafia-style murder.

A gunman shot Ivana Hodak, a 26-year-old law intern, in the hallway of her apartment building at about 11am. Passersby said a man aged between 30 and 35 years, wearing a grey jacket and no mask, ran out of the building afterward.

The victim's father, Zvonimir Hodak, is the prominent lawyer representing former Croatian General Vladimir Zagorec, whom Austria extradited to Croatia last week to face charges of stealing 3.5m euros' worth of diamonds used as collateral in wartime arms deals. Her mother, Ljerka Mintas Hodak, is a former deputy prime minister.

Police immediately set up roadblocks throughout Zagreb.

Expressing his condolences to the Hodak family, Sanader said the killing was an "awful tragedy that we fully condemn", and urged police to step up its fight against organised crime. "We will not tolerate organised crime and Mafia slayings," the prime minister said.

President Stipe Mesic called it a "heinous crime".

"All those who are saying that something must be done to improve security in Croatia are right," he said. "Citizens have the right to be alarmed."

Mesic also called a meeting of the National Security Council, which is expected to convene on Friday.

The government has declared war on organised crime, Deputy Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said on Monday. Sanader told reporters that, among other steps, authorities will draft an anti-Mafia law.

But opposition politicians criticised the government for dragging its feet, with Zoran Milanovic, the leader of the Social Democratic Party, saying it was "too late" for resignations.