GOSPIC TRIAL CONTINUES

RIJEKA, July 3 (Hina) - Assistant commander of the Karlovac Operative Zone for the security and intelligence service, SIS, during the war, Martin Jendrasic, testified on Wednesday in the trial of the so-called Gospic group. Jendrasic said that it was in the Gospic Office for the Protection of the Constitutional Order (SZUP) that he had heard of at least 76 civilians being killed under the order of the accused, Tihomir Oreskovic and Mirko Norac, and that the chief protagonist of the events in Gospic was Oreskovic. #L# Jendrasic testified before the Court Council of Rijeka County Court, presided by Judge Ika Saric. He said that there was an illegal and unprofessional parallel line of command from president Franjo Tudjman via former defence minister Gojko Susak directly to Norac. The crimes committed in Gospic were confirmed by a military inspection headed by General Martin Spegelj in November 1991, Jendrasic said. He added that Norac had told him in 1991 that the assistant for SIS in the 118th Brigade was Tihomir Oreskovic. The then commander of the Gospic military police, Zdenko Banda, was arrested by Oreskovic and Norac following a conversation with Jendrasic. He said that Banda was removed from office. He escaped and reported to the 128th Rijeka Brigade which was located in Gospic at the time, from where he was taken away by two SIS offices to Karlobag. Following Jendrasic's intervention with the then commander of the Central Military Police, Mate Lausic, Banda was released, the witness said. Norac stated that today was the first time he ever saw Jendrasic in person and that he had never heard of him before. Oreskovic claimed that Jendrasic belonged to the circle surrounding Josip Boljkovac, a former assistant to Josip Manolic and Jendrasic's testimony consisted of alleged information he received later and that is why it differed considerably to his statement in the original investigation. The trial continues on Thursday. (hina) lml sb