ZAGREB, Sept 30 (Hina) - Croatian Justice Minister Ingrid Anticevic Marinovic said on Monday that she had again asked the president of the Split County Court, Igor Benzon, to establish who was responsible for the unlawful treatment of
files in the "Lora" military prison war crimes case.
ZAGREB, Sept 30 (Hina) - Croatian Justice Minister Ingrid Anticevic
Marinovic said on Monday that she had again asked the president of
the Split County Court, Igor Benzon, to establish who was
responsible for the unlawful treatment of files in the "Lora"
military prison war crimes case. #L#
"I am dissatisfied with Benzon's previous reply when he stated that
there had been omissions in the reception of documents, but he did
not reply who was responsible for the omissions," the minister said
during Monday's oath-taking of two newly appointed Supreme Court
public notaries.
About ten days ago the minister asked Benzon to investigate whether
judge Slavko Lozina had unlawfully treated files regarding the Lora
war crimes trial and whether the case should be taken away from
him.
Benzon replied "certain omissions were noted in receiving the
documentation, but none of such a nature as to harm any party in the
proceedings".
The minister explained that she had asked of Benzon to elaborate,
that is, to establish exactly who was responsible for the fact that
documents acquired through international legal help from Belgrade,
which the ministry submitted to the court, had not been filed in
records about the Lora trial on time.
Asked whether he would undertake any steps against judge Lozina for
his alleged indecent behaviour at a concert of Marko Perkovic
Thompson in Split, the president of the Supreme Court, Ivica Crnic,
recalled that Benzon had assessed there was no reason for
disciplinary proceedings against Lozina.
"There is no additional information indicating that Lozina
tarnished the (Split County) Court's reputation based on which I
could undertake new measures" Crnic said.
Dissatisfied with the common public opinion that courts had not
processed war criminals, Crnic stressed that courts could not do so
without the assistance of the state prosecution and police.
"It is incorrect that courts are being criticised for witnesses
suddenly loosing their memory at main hearings," Crnic said,
calling on the public to have some trust in the judiciary.
Crnic did not wish to comment on ongoing trials concerning war
crimes.
Stating that there was a "true flood of memory loss among
witnesses", Minister Anticevic Marinovic said the government was
preparing a law on witness protection and amendments to the Penal
Code under which any attack on or intimidation of a witness would be
considered an assault on the court and severely punished.
She reiterated that the government was also preparing amendments to
the Law on Criminal Proceedings under which investigative judges
would no longer exist, while state prosecutors would be entrusted
with the provision of evidence, which, she said, would contribute
to a greater responsibility of judicial bodies.
(hina) lml sb