Media speculate that the witnesses in question is police officer Krunoslav Fehir, who claims to have witnessed the murders of Serb civilians in the eastern city of Osijek in late 1991 and alleges that they were ordered by Branimir Glavas, an independent member of Parliament who at that time served as head of the National Defence Office in Osijek.
This speculation could not be verified at the Zagreb County Court and the Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor.
"I can only say that at the request of the County Prosecutor a protected witness has been interviewed in connection with war crimes against the civilian population," Ratko Scekic of the Zagreb County Court Investigations Department said.
Scekic declined to reveal any other details, citing provisions of the Witness Protection Act.
News of the witness hearing came from the Osijek correspondent of the Feral Tribune weekly, Drago Hedl, who told Hina that on Tuesday he received a call from the source of the information he used for an article in the previous issue of Feral Tribune and that that person said that he would make a statement before a Zagreb County Court investigating judge on Wednesday.
"I cannot reveal that person's name, but I can say that it is the same man who was the source of information for the article on war crimes against civilians in Osijek, committed on the orders of Branimir Glavas, and who has made a detailed statement to Chief Public Prosecutor Mladen Bajic and his deputy Dragan Novosel," Hedl said.
Hedl said that the witness had told him that he would repeat the testimony he had given to the Chief Public Prosecutor, in which he cited Glavas as the person who ordered arrests, beatings and killings.