HRVOJE PETRAC TO BE PLACED UNDER INVESTIGATION ON SUSPICION OF INCITING TO KIDNAPPING

ZAGREB, March 19 (Hina) - Businessman Hrvoje Petrac will be placed under investigation on suspicion of inciting a nine-member criminal group to kidnap the son of retired general Vladimir Zagorec, a panel of judges of the Zagreb County Court decided on Friday.#L# "The panel of judges today decided to accept in part the investigation request of the Office for the Prevention of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) and expand the investigation into the kidnapping to include Hrvoje Petrac as well," court president Bozidar Rumenjak told Hina. He explained that Petrac would be placed under investigation on suspicion of inciting the criminal group to commit the kidnapping, but that the court rejected the part of the investigation request in which Petrac was described as the organiser of the group. "The Court decided that USKOK failed to present in its request all the circumstances and facts which would point to the existence of founded suspicion that Petrac organised the group. It arises from the investigation request that the group had already existed and that Petrac used it, i.e. incited it to the kidnapping, but did not organise the group," Rumenjak said. The court president said that an investigating judge would set detention for Petrac as all legal conditions for placing him under police custody had been met, and issue a warrant for his arrest as he was unavailable to the police. Investigating judge Zoran Luburic yesterday disagreed with USKOK's request that the investigation into the kidnapping of Zagorec's son be expanded to include Hrvoje Petrac. He said that USKOK's evidence was insufficient to conclude that Petrac, along with the nine other suspects, was involved in the kidnapping. In case when an investigating judge disagrees with an investigation request, a decision on the matter is made by a panel of judges. (Hina) rml sb