RIJEKA, Jan 14 (Hina) - The president of the Rijeka County Court panel of judges in the trial of the so-called Gospic Group, Ika Saric, on Tuesday presented the forensic findings of the so-called Dasovic audio cassette. According to
the findings, it is impossible to identify the persons whose voices are on the cassette.
RIJEKA, Jan 14 (Hina) - The president of the Rijeka County Court
panel of judges in the trial of the so-called Gospic Group, Ika
Saric, on Tuesday presented the forensic findings of the so-called
Dasovic audio cassette. According to the findings, it is impossible
to identify the persons whose voices are on the cassette. #L#
The forensic research conducted at the Education and
Rehabilitation Faculty in Zagreb has established that due to the
poor quality of the record and a number of technical difficulties,
it is impossible to identify the persons based on the comparison of
voices. Also, the research expert has stressed, records older than
six years make identification more difficult, and this cassette was
recorded in November 1991.
Research has also shown that the record was subsequently tampered
with, with pauses, recordings over and additions. Based on an
analysis of the sounds and noise, the expert has established that
parts of the tape were not recorded in identical spatial conditions
and at the same time.
The Counter-Intelligence Agency (POA), which submitted the
cassette to the court, claimed that it contained a November 1991
deposition by the then head of the Gospic police, Ivan Dasovic,
given to the then deputy interior minister, Smiljan Reljic, about
events in the Gospic area in the autumn of the same year.
A voice, claimed to be Dasovic's, speaks about civilians being
taken away and killed in masses, and directly accuses Tihomir
Oreskovic and Mirko Norac of organising this. Norac is also accused
of murdering a person during a liquidation in Pazariste.
In his testimony during the main hearing, Dasovic said he could not
confirm that the voice on the cassette was his.
Despite objections from the defendants, Judge Saric today read out
depositions by witnesses Vojo Pantelic and Sofija Suput. Even after
repeated summonses, the two witnesses failed to show up for the
trial. They are supposedly living abroad.
Sofija Suput spoke during the investigation about her husband being
taken away, and claimed that she had heard that Norac, Oreskovic,
Tomislav Mercep and Nikola Stedul were responsible for the
subsequent liquidation of civilians.
Indictee Tihomir Oreskovic said that the witness had been prepared
for the deposition by Serb intelligence services, and fully
dismissed her deposition as false, as did defendant Mirko Norac.
The trial continues on Wednesday.
(hina) lml