DEFENCE MINISTRY ESTABLISHES MIXED COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY

ZAGREB, Feb 26 (Hina) - Croatian Defence Minister Jozo Rados on Tuesday established a mixed commission of enquiry to probe allegations made by female members of the 16th cannon-artillery brigade in Bjelovar that they had been sexually harassed, the Ministry said in a statement. The statement, signed by the Ministry's public relations and information office head, Dusan Viro, recalls that after an anonymous tip made to the defence ministry, Croatian Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff Petar Stipetic founded a commission of enquiry on February 20 to investigate the allegations. The next day, the commission found that the accusations were unfounded. However, "since the public gained an impression questioning the work and objectivity of the commission, Defence Minister Jozo Rados assessed that a new commission of enquiry should be established," the statement reads. The commission must complete the investigation within a week and inform the defence ministry about its findings. The public will be informed about the same. Viro told Hina that Rados and Stipetic today agreed on the establishment of the new commission consisting of three women and two men -- two from the defence ministry and General Staff each, and a representative of the government's office for gender equality. The media reported that on February 19 Defence Minister Rados received an anonymous letter saying the female members of the 16th cannon-artillery brigade were being sexually harassed by two intoxicated officers on a daily basis and that their superiors were threatening them with dismissals. (hina) lml