Word: crimes
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...Pukanic's murder caused an outcry, not just because he was an important player but because it revealed the extent of the connection between politics, crime and corruption in the former Yugoslav republic. Less than three weeks ago, Ivana Hodak, the 22-year-old daughter of a prominent lawyer, was shot three times in the back of her head just several blocks from the site of Pukanic's death. Police are investigating whether the two assassinations may have been linked: Ms. Hodak's father, Zvonimir, had publicly accused Petrac of ordering his daughter's murder. Petrac, who is in custody...
...Mesic government is now under fire from various quarters for allowing organized crime - which flourished under the reign of autocratic President Franjo Tudjman, who led Croatia's independence struggle - to grow even more rampantly after the country's transition to democracy. "The authorities are obviously incompetent to stand up to organized crime," said opposition MP Vladimir Sisljagic at a press conference on Monday. "This situation is a result of 18 years of turning a blind eye to war profiteering and gangsterism...
...Sanader has vowed that the government will do "whatever it takes" to uproot organized crime, and on Tuesday, Ivan Simonovic, Croatia's newly appointed Justice Minister, announced a series of measures aimed at curbing organized crime. These include new legislation to allow criminals' property to be confiscated, as well as the establishment of a new police agency, modeled on America's Federal Bureau of Investigation. But the new measures still need to be approved by the parliament, and it will be months before they take effect...
...Meanwhile, Croatian authorities are worried that the crime wave is spoiling Croatia's international image as a tourist paradise. Over the past several years, the country has invested heavily in its Adriatic resorts like Dubrovnik and collects much of its foreign exchange from tourism. "The worst thing that we can now do is to [have to] start going around trying to persuade people that Croatia is a safe country," says Nadan Vidosevic, chief of Croatia's Chamber of Commerce. "We mustn't allow insecurity to spill over...
...Even more devastating is the possibility that the uptick in high-profile crime will jeopardize Croatia's effort to become a full member of the E.U., for which it is currently a candidate. "This is a clear step back for Croatia's quest towards membership," said Hanes Svoboda, the European Parliament's Croatia monitor. "Either the government would impose some stability and order, or Croatia will not be able to join the E.U. anytime soon," Svoboda said in a radio interview...