WIVES OF INDICTEES IN 'LORA CASE' MEET SPLIT COUNTY LEADERSHIP

SPLIT, April 2 (Hina) - The wives of seven former military policemen, who have been in custody on charges of war crimes committed at Split's military prison Lora, met on Tuesday at their request with the county leadership. Prefect Branimir Luksic handed each a cheque for 2,000 kuna. #L# "Our children are stigmatised, our survival is jeopardised and our health endangered. We are afraid of the future," said Jagoda Bungur on behalf of the indictees' wives. She also wondered why their husbands were tried while Serb crimes against Croats were not investigated. Prefect Luksic said that he did not want to comment on the indictment, but added that the trial of Croatian soldiers set a precedent. Deputy prefect Josko Kovac said that the trial in the 'Lora case' was a trial of the Croatian state, which had to be prevented. The Hague Tribunal will disappear and we will establish a court in Zagreb, where all those who betrayed the Croatian state will be tried, Kovac said. Deputy prefect Tadija Barun said that it was not politics but Croatian soldiers who established Croatia. He added that he refused to keep silent about this. Seven former military police officers have been in custody since last September. They are charged with having tortured and killed Serb civilians at the military port Lora in 1992. Another indictee remains at large. (hina) sb rml