ZAGREB, Sept 19 (Hina) - Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic on Friday dismissed as speculation the latest media allegations that the government has already held talks with potential Croatian suspects of the Hague war crimes tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia,
ZAGREB, Sept 19 (Hina) - Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic on
Friday dismissed as speculation the latest media allegations that
the government has already held talks with potential Croatian
suspects of the Hague war crimes tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia, #L#
He told reporters various pieces of information were continually
being released, probably from intelligence circles in some
countries.
Granic reiterated the procedure with indictments was unequivocal.
The Hague's prosecution prepares indictments and submits them to
the tribunal for verification. Once verified they are forwarded to
the government in question, which then sends them, via the justice
ministry, to the competent court for processing.
If the tribunal and the prosecution file an indictment, the
Croatian government must act accordingly, Granic said, adding that
Croatia was in an unusual position given that certain pieces of
information were constantly being put out, bringing into question
its cooperation with the Hague tribunal.
Granic said this was done intentionally, always when the
cooperation was being evaluated.
Commenting on media allegations that the tribunal is asking for 40
new files from Croatia, the deputy PM said a review of all demands
from the tribunal had begun a few weeks ago.
The tribunal's Office of the Chief Prosecutor and the government's
Office for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal have been working on
it for weeks, he said, estimating that a joint protocol might be
issued to ascertain whether some obligations have not been
fulfilled and the deadline by which they must be met.
Granic stressed that it referred to technical cooperation, namely
about 500 requests the government already had or was in the
processing of meeting.
He reiterated Croatia wished Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte's
upcoming report to be as fair and as corresponding to facts as
possible.
"The important thing is that it be based on facts, and I believe the
facts are good when it comes to cooperation on Croatia's part and
that the government is fulfilling all commitments."
Granic reiterated Croatia had notified the tribunal that fugitive
Ante Gotovina was out of the country. "To date we haven't received
any lead which would indicate that General Gotovina is hiding in
Croatia or Bosnia and Herzegovina".
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