RIJEKA, Sept 9 (Hina) - Mirko Norac, one of the accused in the so-called Gospic group being tried at Rijeka County Court for war crimes, stated during the main hearing on Monday that a "conspiracy has been created against me from
various sides".
RIJEKA, Sept 9 (Hina) - Mirko Norac, one of the accused in the so-
called Gospic group being tried at Rijeka County Court for war
crimes, stated during the main hearing on Monday that a "conspiracy
has been created against me from various sides". #L#
Norac claimed that he was being accused of several events. He said
that the trial should be proceeding differently, and that he could
supply evidence to counter what he is being accused. He doubted,
however, that this evidence would be taken into consideration.
Norac pointed out that the conspiracy against him started long ago
and was preceded by a well-prepared press campaign.
Another defendant in the same trial, Stjepan Grandic, objected to
today's testimony by Norac's defence witnesses Davor Skara.
Grandic said the testimony referred to "who abducted civilians and
where the bodies of these civilians were found" but that he did not
know where they lived nor who made the decision that they should be
executed.
Grandic concluded that he would never take on the role of General
Rahim Ademi, who willingly surrendered to the UN war crimes
tribunal at The Hague. Grandic said that when the trial began he was
going to defend Norac, but decided against it "the day Norac
denounced him and the 118th Brigade's Second Perusic Battalion in
an attempt to lay the blame on that unit."
According to the indictment, Grandic detained civilians in a
Perusic barracks who had been abducted from their homes and then
organised the killing of 24 persons at the Lipova Glavica location,
at Norac's orders. In his initial testimony, Grandic described the
events as such, while in the second questioning he withdrew his
earlier statement, claiming that he had made it under the influence
of strong tranquillisers.
Davor Skara, a commander of the 188th Gospic Brigade in 1991, told
the panel of judges presided by Judge Ika Saric that the orders for
all war actions were issued by the president of the Crisis
Headquarters for the Lika region, Ante Karic, and that Norac did not
issue orders to the Perusic Battalion.
Skara added that at the time he had no knowledge of the abduction and
killing of civilians, nor anything about a list of Serb nationals.
The trial will continue on Tuesday.
(hina) sp/ha