GOSPIC GROUP WAR CRIMES TRIAL RESUMES

RIJEKA, April 8 (Hina) - A witness in the war crimes trial of the so- called Gospic Group at the Rijeka County Court said on Monday that one of the defendants, Stjepan Grandic, ordered bringing a bus with a firing squad to a site of the killing of civilians outside Gospic. #L# Witness Milan Aleskovic, the driver of the bus, said Grandic told him on the morning of the killing to bring the bus in front of the Perusic barracks. Eight soldiers boarded the bus, followed by Grandic, Aleskovic said, explicitly stating that there were no disguised persons either on the bus or in front of the barracks. The witness said he did not want to go all the way to the execution site at Lipova Glavica by bus due to a poor forest road. A truck with civilians in front of the bus headed on while Grandic, Aleskovic said, told the soldiers on the bus to hurry behind the truck so that no one could escape. Aleskovic said he stayed behind and after a while heard barrage fire from the direction of the soldiers and the truck. When they returned to the bus, the witness said, they were all "beside themselves." He said Grandic asked him why he had not reached them by bus, threatened him with a gun, and told him that he would "end up like those up there." The trial resumes tomorrow. (hina) ha sb