Culture Minister Bozo Biskupic on Wednesday dismissed media allegations that the state-owned company Croatian Motorways (HAC) should have paid some HRK 500 million for archaeological research on motorway routes over the past seven years, saying there was no scandal.

Biskupic told the press this was only about abiding by legal regulations on which all research work was based, work aimed at preserving the heritage devastated by war and centuries of neglect.

Since 2004, the Culture Ministry has signed contracts with HAC worth HRK 401.2 million, of which HRK 294.3 million has been realised, said the minister.

Biskupic said he was not afraid of an investigation and that Transport Minister Bozidar Kalmeta did the right thing by asking HAC to submit a report on the archaeological work. Every tender was published and nothing was done that would harm anyone, he added.