SPLIT, Oct 13 (Hina) - The trial of eight defendants, indicted for war crimes committed in the Lora military prison in Split in 1992, will resume on Monday, October 14, the president of the panel of judges in this case, Judge Slavko
Lozina, confirmed on Sunday.
SPLIT, Oct 13 (Hina) - The trial of eight defendants, indicted for
war crimes committed in the Lora military prison in Split in 1992,
will resume on Monday, October 14, the president of the panel of
judges in this case, Judge Slavko Lozina, confirmed on Sunday. #L#
At the beginning of the resumption of the process, eight witnesses
from Croatia should give their testimonies.
After that, five witnesses, who live in Yugoslavia and who have
expressed their readiness to come to Split, will take the witness
stand. They have again received, through the diplomatic channels,
the summons with assurances for measures to be taken for their
security. Judge Lozina said no more summons would be sent to them.
The main hearing, which started on 11 June, should wrap up in the end
of October.
The trial will resume in the presence of five out of the eight
defendants.
The prime suspect, Tomislav Dujic, has been on the run since the
very beginning of the trial.
Another two indictees - Josip Bikic and Miljenko Bajic - failed to
show up again in the courtroom after the summer break and after in
August the Supreme Court revoked Lozina's decision that the
indictees could be released from custody.
The five indictees who returned to the detention centre in line with
the Supreme Court's ruling are Tonci Vrkic, Davor Banic, Emilijo
Bungur, Ante Gudic and Andjelko Botic.
So far, most of some 60 witnesses have been questioned, except the
witnesses - former Lora prison inmates - who are currently living in
Yugoslavia. They should have taken the witness stand on 23
September, but they cancelled their arrival just before that date.
Other witnesses who testified did not offer incriminating evidence
against the indictees.
Non-governmental organisations have expressed their
dissatisfaction with the entire process and the manner in which
Judge Lozina has been conducting the case. The NGOs pointed to the
uncritical support of the audience in the gallery to the indictees
and to the failure of responsible bodies to address the alleged
threats issued to witnesses.
Besides, Judge Lozina has attracted the additional attention to the
trial due to his behaviour.
In mid-September, the Croatian Supreme Court President, Ivica
Crnic, requested the Split County Court President, Igor Benzon, to
assess whether Judge Lozina tarnished court's reputation with his
behaviour at the Split concert of a pop singer, Marko Perkovic
Thompson.
Justice Minister Ingrid Anticevic Marinovic asked Benzon to assess
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.
Benzon responded that there had been certain irregularities, but
that they had caused no damage to any party in the case and that
Judge Lozina had caused no damage to the court's reputation with his
behaviour.
Lozina described those events as slanders and attempts to remove
him from the Lora case.
(hina) ms