MOST CONCLUSIVE PIECE OF EVIDENCE PRESENTED AT GOSPIC GROUP TRIAL

RIJEKA, Sept 5 (Hina) - The panel of judges in the trial of the so- called Gospic Group at the Rijeka County Court on Thursday listened through a tape recording with war-time Gospic police commander Ivan Dasovic's detailed account of crimes in Gospic, given to the then assistant interior minister Smiljan Reljic. #L# Dasovic spoke to Reljic about the so-called "deadly meeting" at the Lika crisis headquarters, which he said had been attended by all most powerful people in Gospic at the time. According to the recording, Dasovic stated that Mirko Norac had said at the meeting that the Croatian government had ordered the execution of civilians. During the interview with Reljic, Dasovic also stated that Norac had killed one of the civilians who had been taken to Pazariste outside the town after the meeting. Speaking about the role of indictee Tihomir Oreskovic, Dasovic said that he had held all the power in the town and sown terror with the help of an armed group. During the interview Dasovic also mentioned the mass abduction of Serb civilians, and Reljic - according to the recording - concluded that the whole case should be covered up. The tape recording, which is the most conclusive piece of evidence at the Gospic Group trial, was forwarded to the Rijeka County Court by the Counter-Intelligence Agency (POA) after the state secret seal had been removed from it last week. (hina) rml sb