The head of the panel of judges in charge of the case, Spomenka Tonkovic, has other cases to prepare and she needs also some time to prepare this trial, the spokeswoman said, explaining why the trial would not start earlier.
At the moment, four indictees - Tonci Vrkic, Davor Banic, Tonci Gudic and Andjelko Botic - are in custody. The other four - Tomislav Duic, Miljenko Bajic, Josip Bikic and Emilio Bungur - are still on the run.
The court has recently decided to greenlight the start of the trial although the four will be tried in absentia if they do not turn themselves in in the meantime.
The indictees were acquitted at their first trial before the county court in the biggest Croatian Adriatic city in 2002. The Supreme Court quashed that ruling last year and ordered a retrial before a new panel of judges in Split.