Croatian police said on Friday they had caught the person who killed the daughter of a prominent Croat lawyer in a high-profile case which caused the interior and justice ministers to be sacked.

"The killer has been caught and we have clear knowledge about the murder motive. We can say that this case is solved," a senior police official said.

Ivana Hodak, a 26-year old law intern, was killed last October in the staircase of her building in downtown Zagreb.

Her father, Zvonimir Hodak, is defending ex-general Vladimir Zagorec against charges that he stole $5 million in diamonds during Croatia's war of independence.

Local media reported that the killer was one of Hodak's clients. Earlier media reports said the murder could be linked to the Zagorec case.

Prime Minister Ivo Sanader fired his interior and justice ministers as well as the national police chief last October because they were unable to improve Zagreb's security situation. The Hodak murder, which sparked outrage, prompted the sackings.

The Zagorec case is one of several at the heart of Croatia's efforts to crack down on crime and corruption, a key issue in its drive to join the European Union within the next two years.