SIBENIK, Oct 4 (Hina) - The Sibenik Municipal Court on Friday declared six Sibenik policemen guilty of criminal acts committed during the arrest of Italian tourist Riccardo Cetina on the night between 1 and 2 September 1998.
SIBENIK, Oct 4 (Hina) - The Sibenik Municipal Court on Friday
declared six Sibenik policemen guilty of criminal acts committed
during the arrest of Italian tourist Riccardo Cetina on the night
between 1 and 2 September 1998. #L#
The policemen received prison sentences ranging between three and
eight months for acts of abuse they committed while performing
their duties and for inflicting serious bodily harm.
Explaining the verdict, judge Zivko Pasara said that in deciding on
the sentence he had taken into account Cetina's aggressive and
unusual behaviour from the moment he entered the cafe "Vis" to his
resisting arrest and fleeing the scene. In the repeated trial the
six policemen were not accused of Cetina's death as was the case in
the original trial.
Cetina died at a Split clinic a day after he was arrested.
Judge Pasara said among other things that the indictees acted
towards Cetina after he had been subdued, which was contrary to
police regulations on the use of force.
A legal representative for Cetina who followed the trial, Split
attorney Jadran Franceski, said that he would soon sue the Sibenik
general hospital, the Republic of Croatia, and the six policemen.
(hina) rml sb