NO OFFICIAL COMMENTS FROM SPLIT COUNTY COURT ON JUDGE LOZINA

SPLIT, Sept 18 (Hina) - A spokeswoman for the Split County Court, Marica Scepanovic, on Wednesday said that owing to the court's president's official absence, the court could not in public comment on the request for establishing whether there were elements for initiating a disciplinary procedure against a court judge, Slavko Lozina, for his behaviour at the concert of a Croatian pop singer, Marko Perkovic Thompson, and whether it was necessary to exclude him from the Lora case trial. #L# The request for the assessment whether Judge Lozina tarnished court's reputation at Thompson's concert in Split on Sunday, was forwarded by the Croatian Supreme Court President, Ivica Crnic. Justice Minister Ingrid Anticevic Marinovic requested the assessment whether Judge Lozina unlawfully acted with some documents in the trial of Lora war crimes indictees and whether the case should be taken away from him. Lozina told Hina on Wednesday that he had caused no damage to court's reputation with his behaviour at Thompson's concert, and that he had nothing against an investigation into the matter. Lozina claimed that the recording from the concert would show the truth. He added that all of this was suspicious to him because this was the second time during the Lora trial that he was accused of the having damaged the court's reputation. The concert which Thompson held at a football stadium in Split, assumed the character of a political rally at which a part of the audience wore Ustashi and fascist insignia and shouted insults at the incumbent Croatian President, Stjepan Mesic. Describing Judge Lozina's conduct, some media said he was at the concert with the wives of some of the Lora trial's indictees, who are being processed at the Split County Court. (hina) ms sb