THE HAGUE, May 17 (Hina) - Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) MP Milan Kovac told the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague on Friday its prosecution had obtained transcripts of former Croatian President Franjo Tudjman's conversations
illegally and announced a parliamentary investigation.
THE HAGUE, May 17 (Hina) - Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) MP Milan
Kovac told the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague on Friday its
prosecution had obtained transcripts of former Croatian President
Franjo Tudjman's conversations illegally and announced a
parliamentary investigation. #L#
Kovac and former Tomislavgrad area Croat Defence Council (HVO)
commander Zeljko Glasnovic were this week's defence witnesses in
the trial of Mladen Naletilic aka Tuta and Vinko Martinovic aka
Stela, Bosnian Croats charged with crimes committed during the
Bosnian war in the Mostar and Jablanica areas.
On Monday, the first day of his testimony, Kovac said that in his
function as MP, he would launch the establishment of a commission of
inquiry to probe the circumstances under which the Tudjman
transcripts had arrived at The Hague. "All those who worked
illegally, be it even the incumbent Croatian President, will answer
in Croatia," said Kovac.
The Hague prosecution is using those transcripts to prove Croatia's
involvement in the Bosnian conflict. The defence is contesting
their authenticity.
Although he contested their authenticity, Kovac refused to speak
about documents which bear the seal of state secret. He denied the
authenticity of transcripts of Tudjman's talks in Split in the
autumn of 1993, saying he had not been present.
Prosecutor Roeland Bos said that 127 transcripts had arrived at The
Hague through the government.
He quoted Croatian President Stjepan Mesic who had explained the
publication of the transcripts with the fact that they contained no
military or state secrets. Mesic had said the transcripts were
published for political reasons, to prove that Croatia had not been
a law-based state.
Kovac said Croatia had never been involved in Bosnia and that
Tudjman had never aspired towards Bosnian territories.
Glasnovic testified about the military operations and strategic
goals of Muslim troops in Herzegovina. He disputed claims that
Croatian Army forces had operated in Bosnia.
(hina) ha sb