Croatian MOST Leader Refuses to Debate Tapping Claims

Bozo Petrov, head of MOST, the party that emerged as a kingmaker from the general election, on Thursday declined to take part in a TV duel with Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic over claims that he has been under police surveillance.

"Ostojic should face the parliamentary committee for domestic policy and national security and police authorities in charge of wiretapping and surveillance, not me," he said.

MOST spokesperson Nikola Grmoja on Monday said the party had "indications that Petrov has been under surveillance all this time", since the elections on November 8.

Grmoja claimed that the governing Social Democratic Party, SDP, to which Ostojic belongs, had used a special police operation to monitor Petrov, which "wasn't registered" and was illegal.

"Things that took place solely at our meetings were coming out in public. I don't believe our people always revealed them, I am confident that we were heavily monitored all the time," he said.

Grmoja was questioned on Tuesday by the police unit of the Office for Suppressing Corruption and Organized Crime, PNUSKOK, concerning the surveillance claims.

He then raised suspicions that Minister Ostojic had tapped Petrov's cell phone with the help of PNUSKOK's chief, Mario Bertina.

He based his claims on an anonymous report sent to the parliamentary committee for domestic policy and national security on Monday.

Ostojic on Wednesday denied the claims.

"Petrov wasn't under surveillance nor was he tapped, nor was he under any measures... Nothing that Grmoja has said is true," the outgoing minister said, adding that he was leaving "a transparent system" behind him.

"A minister can't order or stop criminal investigations. These claims are disturbing the public. If anyone...