TALKS UNDER WAY ON TRANSFER OF DOCUMENTS SOUGHT BY GOTOVINA'S ATTORNEYS

ZAGREB, Dec 30 (Hina) - Croatian Justice Minister Vesna Skare Ozbolt said on Tuesday consultations were under way in the government as to whether the team representing General Ante Gotovina would be given documents the former government sent to the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague.#L# "Consultations are still under way," Skare Ozbolt said at a New Year's reception given today by President Stjepan Mesic. The information about the consultations was confirmed by Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul and Deputy Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor. Zuzul said that all relevant institutions and experts, both in and outside the government, were involved in the consultations. One of Gotovina's attorneys, Ante Vukorepa, said he expected the government and Prime Minister Ivo Sanader to act in line with the court ruling binding the government to give Gotovina's attorneys the requested documents. Sanader has shown that he abides by the law and it is expected he will act in line with the court ruling, Vukorepa said. He recalled that proceedings regarding Gotovina's transfer to the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague were conducted by the Zagreb County Court, which he said should be left to make all relevant decisions. Vukorepa does not expect any problems between Zagreb and The Hague if the court ruling is acted on. Legal experts are still divided over this case. One of the legal advisors of the former government claims the transfer of the documents to Gotovina's attorneys would be contrary to the UN tribunal's rules of procedure and evidence. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the expert said the documents could be handed over only if Gotovina's attorneys were registered with the UN war crimes tribunal. Since Gotovina is on the run and has not appeared before the tribunal, his attorneys are denied the right to represent him before the tribunal. On the other hand, a legal expert consulted by the new government says the government must carry out the court ruling and that proceedings before the Croatian court and the UN tribunal are separate, as well as that Gotovina has authorised attorneys representing him before Croatian courts. The government must respect the court ruling as any other legal or physical person, the expert says. The Zagreb Municipal Court on December 18 passed a ruling ordering the government to give Gotovina's attorneys, within eight days, documents previously submitted to the UN tribunal. The government was given eight working days to appeal the ruling. The government should decide about the hand over of the documents until Friday, January 2. Under the court ruling, the government should give Gotovina's attorneys 77 documents that were submitted to the UN tribunal in September 1995 and some other documents submitted in February 2003. (Hina) rml