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Zagreb - Commenting on the fact that no candidate responded to the advertised vacancy for the head of the Office for Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK), State Attorney-General Zlata Hrvoj-Šipek said on Wednesday that her office and USKOK did not depend on one person.
USKOK continues to function in an orderly and efficient manner, as shown by statistical and other data, Hrvoj-Šipek told the parliamentary Judicial Committee while it was discussing the report on the performance of the offices of the State-Attorney-General (DORH) in 2022.
As many as 1,800 people work in USKOK and DORH and they do not depend on one person, she stressed.
Hrvoj-Šipek dismissed claims by media outlets and some Opposition politicians that the fact that no one applied for the position of USKOK director means the defeat of the agency and prosecutorial system.
Asked by Opposition MPs to explain why there were no candidates for that job, Hrvoj-Šipek said that it might be due to the fact that this is a responsible and demanding position and the work differs from how DORH offices function.
Also, USKOK has its offices in only four major cities, and she speculates that perhaps this can make the position less attractive for potential candidates who live outside those cities.
She dismissed speculations that she and DORH might be under the influence of the ruling majority.
Decisions are made only based on the established facts and legally collected evidence, she said.
Presenting the report, she said that at the end of 2022, a total of 1,824 persons were on DORH's payroll and that there were 43 local attorneys-general and 778 deputies.
She drew attention to the age structure of DORH officials, noting that every second official is above 50.