GOSPIC GROUP'S FIRST DEFENDANT CLAIMS WITNESSES ARE BIASED

RIJEKA, Feb 26 (Hina) - Questioned by the president of the Judicial Council of Rijeka County Court, Ika Saric, the first defendant in the trial against the so-called Gospic Group, Tihomir Oreskovic, continued his closing argument stating that witnesses heard in the trial, who had claimed he had attended a so-called death meeting on October 16, 1991, were under the influence of Josip Manolic. #L# Oreskovic repeated that there had been no such meeting (allegedly after the meeting, civilians were abducted and liquidated in Pazariste). He claimed that the witnesses had been coached by Josip Manolic and Smiljan Reljic (top officials in the intelligence services) through the group that included Milan Levar, Zdenko Bando and Zdenko Ropac. Questioned by deputy county state prosecutor Doris Hrast, Oreskovic replied that he could not remember if anyone in Gospic made up a list of the local Serbs at the time. He also claimed that he had no authorities to issue orders and that he believed that no-one would have listened to him even if had attempted to do so. Oreskovic further said that he had a good relationship with the defendant, Mirko Norac, officially but not personally. He further added that until he transferred to the Croatian Army in 1991 he had not been in contact with members of the army who attended meetings at the crisis management committee. Oreskovic also noted that Levar (who was killed a few years ago), Ropac and Bando received instruction from Manolic and that they went to the US Embassy in Zagreb where they made false claims about events during the war. Tihomir Oreskovic is charged with issuing orders and organising the abduction and liquidation of civilians in the Gospic region in the autumn of 1991. Other defendants charged for the same crimes in addition to Oreskovic, are Ivica Rozic, Mirko Norac, Stjepan Grandic and Milan Canic. The trial will continue on Thursday with the closing argument by Mirko Norac. (hina) sp ms