NETHERLANDS ATTORNEY REGRETS ABOUT STATEMENT ON MILOSEVIC

THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Sept 11 (Hina) - Dutch attorney Michail Wladimiroff on Wednesday expressed regret about a text published by a Hague daily which said that he amongst else had enough evidence to bring a sentence against former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. The attorney said his words were misinterpreted. #L# Wladimiroff told the trial chamber conducting the case against Milosevic that the paper printed something that he did not say and that he did not authorise any interview for the paper. The Hague-based daily "Haagsche courant" on Wednesday released a statement by Wladimiroff, who is amicus curiae in the Milosevic trial, in which he said that the prosecution in the Kosovo part of the trial had presented sufficient evidence to have Milosevic sentenced and that the it would not have any problems in closing the circle of evidence against Milosevic in the Croatian and Bosnian part of the trial. Wladimiroff regretted that this was printed, adding that he had only told the journalist that there was some connection between the accused and events in Kosovo. Chief prosecutor in the trial Geofrey Nice warned that the interview mentioned details from a closed meeting which was to have remained strictly confidential between the participants of that meeting. This indicates that attorneys should not be allowed to communicate with the press, Nice said. Prejudging the court's decisions by the amicus curiae prior to the commencement of the defence and prior to the commencement of the trial concerning Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina is disturbing justice, Milosevic said, estimating that in keeping with the constitution of the Hague-based tribunal such an action constituted contempt of the court. The Trial Chamber in the Milosevic case announced that it would investigate the case. Presiding judge Richard May said that the Trial Chamber consisted of professionals who completely ignore all external comments as irrelevant. (hina) sp it ha