RIJEKA COUNTY COURT RELEASES HVO GENERAL INDICTED FOR DRUG SMUGGLING

RIJEKA, Feb 14 (Hina) - Retired Bosnian Croat general Ivan Andabak, (aged 49), indicted for the smuggling of 660 kg of cocaine from South America to Africa via Europe, has been granted temporary release, but forbidden to leave Osijek, the place of his current residence. The trial chamber of the Rijeka County Court, which is conducting the trial with judge Djurdja Jovanic presiding, on Thursday decided to release Andabak, the first indictee in the process, due to changes in the indictment lessening the gravity of charges, the lengthiness of the trial, the lack of documents requested from Gambia and the indictee's condition. Judge Jovanic said the court had still not received documents requested from Gambia, including original bills of lading for the container in which the cocaine was discovered in the Rijeka port in late 1999. The trial has been adjourned and will resume as soon as the requested documents arrive, the judge said. Addressing reporters in front of the court building, Andabak said he did not understand what the trial was about. According to him, the trials against him (conducted by courts in Rijeka and Sarajevo) have been rigged, with "general Klein and President Mesic" having been involved in rigging the proceedings. (hina) sb rml