ZAGREB, Feb 20 (Hina) - Hrvoje Sarinic, a former Croatian prime minister and ex-President Franjo Tudjman's chief-of-staff, told state television on Thursday he would be interviewed by investigators from the war crimes tribunal in The
Hague in a few days.
ZAGREB, Feb 20 (Hina) - Hrvoje Sarinic, a former Croatian prime
minister and ex-President Franjo Tudjman's chief-of-staff, told
state television on Thursday he would be interviewed by
investigators from the war crimes tribunal in The Hague in a few
days. #L#
Sarinic said he learned in contacts with the U.N. court's
representatives that the interview would focus on events from 1991,
namely talks the then presidents of Serbia and Croatia, Slobodan
Milosevic and Tudjman, held in Karadjordjevo and Tikves and which
Sarinic mentioned in his book "All My Secret Negotiations with
Slobodan Milosevic".
Sarinic believes everything the investigators are interested in is
within the context of Milosevic's trial in The Hague.
"I think he has already filled the maximum penalty that he can get,
so my testimony may only be the completion of what witnesses have
said."
Asked if he was afraid that from witness he might become a suspect,
Sarinic said he could not see which elements from his book might
bring him into that situation.
Asked if one could talk about negotiations with Milosevic without
putting the late Tudjman into a negative light, Sarinic said the
Hague investigators would certainly insist on discussing Croatia's
military and political steps at the time in question.
Recalling that the Hague tribunal had been preparing an indictment
against Tudjman, Sarinic said the positive in Tudjman's actions had
been the fact that all of his negotiations put the accent on the
liberation of Croatian areas then occupied by Serb rebels.
Sarinic confirmed his interview with the three Hague investigators
would be held in their Zagreb office and that he would not be
accompanied by an attorney.
Quoting unofficial sources, the state television's evening
newscast said the interview would take place next week and last
three days.
As Tudjman's chief-of-staff and one of his closest associates,
Sarinic held numerous negotiations with Serb rebels'
representatives and Milosevic himself, whom he secretly met on
several occasions. During the war, they met 13 times between 12
November 1993 and 20 September 1995. The last meeting took place in
March 1998. The meetings were held in and around Belgrade.
(hina) ha