"In the 2016 campaign, it was him (Zoran Milanovic) who clearly insinuated that he would influence DORH. Unlike him, influencing that body is the furthest thing from my mind," he said on Croatian Radio, commenting on President Milanovic's statement that Plenkovic's call on law enforcement to investigate the Rijeka European Capital of Culture Project was a dangerous message.
"As far as I and the HDZ are concerned, there are no untouchables. Regarding the fact that there are other criminal reports as well, I just said the same rules should apply to all. That's not pressure."
Speaking of the wind park case, as part of which former HDZ state secretary Josipa Rimac was arrested last week, Plenkovic reiterated that any behaviour which indicated, and especially behaviour for which there was evidence of corruption, must and would be punished.
He said the ruling HDZ party would impose some sanctions and that he was convinced that those who, instead of doing what they had been appointed for, "practically represented the interests of someone abroad", would be ousted.
"That's unacceptable," he said, distancing the government, the HDZ and himself from it. "It's not in my habit to immediately understand that someone would do something like that, yet they were appointed for something else."
Plenkovic reiterated it was not good that surveillance was breached and that someone told the person in question that they were under surveillance. "Who could have said that?" he asked, adding that he expected DORH and the police to give an answer.
"I don't know how DORH can so laconically know that it was not their fault. How did they investigate that?" he said, adding that this was not the first time during his term that something like this happened.
"You had the case in which someone fabricated texts between the prime minister and his deputy, and no harm done," he said, asking, "What has been done about that?"