DEL PONTE SAYS GOTOVINA WAS IN CROATIA AT LEAST UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2003

ZAGREB, Jan 19 (Hina) - The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Carla Del Ponte, told a Belgian daily that according to her information, General Ante Gotovina was in Croatia at least until September last year. She said the problem was that the fugitive general still enjoyed the support of a part of the Croatian authorities.#L# In an exclusive interview for La Libre Belgique, published this weekend, Del Ponte announced new indictments in 2004 which will refer to all former Yugoslav countries. We don't have any more indictments which refer to Serbian senior officials but we must conclude important files in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo and Macedonia, Del Ponte said. Asked directly about general Gotovina, Del Ponte said that according to her information the general was in Croatia at least until September. Since than I have less information, she said. The problem is that Gotovina still enjoys the support of a part of the Croatian authorities, just as General Mladic enjoys the support in Serb military circles, Del Ponte said. Asked whether she expected that the fugitives would be arrested in the near future, Del Ponte said: I hope so. Look what is going on in Croatia. When the Croatian Democratic Union won the polls last November many people talked about 'the return of nationalists', but new Prime Minister Ivo Sanader reiterated that his task is to cooperate with the ICTY. I believe he will live up to his promise. (Hina) it