VUKOVAR, Oct 18 (Hina)- Commenting on Thursday's protest letter sent to the State Judicial Council by the Co-ordinating Body of Associations from the Homeland War, a judicial candidate for Vukovar's County Court, Milos Vojnovic,
stated that allegations in the letter did not correspond to the truth except that he had been sentenced and that he had been pardoned.
VUKOVAR, Oct 18 (Hina)- Commenting on Thursday's protest letter
sent to the State Judicial Council by the Co-ordinating Body of
Associations from the Homeland War, a judicial candidate for
Vukovar's County Court, Milos Vojnovic, stated that allegations in
the letter did not correspond to the truth except that he had been
sentenced and that he had been pardoned. #L#
Everything else is just insinuation and half-truths, Vojnovic, the
vice president of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) and
Vukovar councillor, told Hina on Friday.
Vojnovic confirmed that he did not intend to back down from his
candidacy stating that the positive assessment his candidacy
received from members of the panel of judges of Vukovar County Court
was an honour.
In their letter to the State Judicial Council, the Co-ordinating
Body of associations of veterans and victims of the Homeland War in
Vukovar-Sirmium County, objected because during the occupation of
Eastern Slavonia and Baranja and Sirmium, Vojnovic stood on side
with the Serb rebels.
As a result of his involvement in the rebellion against the Republic
of Croatia, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Osijek
County Court, the letter to the State Judicial Council noted,
adding that a decision by the Government, in response to pressure by
international organisations, had pardoned Vojnovic, but that
victims and veterans had still not forgiven him.
The letter asks the Council that Vojnovic's candidacy for a judge in
the Vukovar County Court not to be accepted.
The president of the Association of Croatian Judges, Vladimir
Gredelj, cannot be certain that if Vojnovic were appointed a county
court judge he would adhere to the Constitution and the law, be an
unbiased judge, and protect Croatia's integrity, sovereignty and
state organisation. In today's statement, Gredelj says he "wants to
believe" that the Judicial Council would be responsible in making
their decision about Vojnovic's candidacy.
In a statement sent to Hina on Friday, Gredelj said that assuming
that the information about Vojnovic is correct and that he was
pardoned, he had every right like any other citizen on the basis of
the Croatian Constitution and law, however, he added that citizen
Vojnovic should not even consider that he could possibly be a judge
in Croatia. He may have been pardoned which means that he was save of
any punishment but he is morally responsible for his actions as long
as he is alive, Gredelj said.
Gredelj thinks its is grotesque if Vojnovic be appointed as a judge
and to have to listen to him saying, when he should take oath, that
he will conduct his duty in keeping with the Constitution and the
law and that he will protect the wholeness, sovereignty and the
constitutional order of Croatia and constitutionally established
human and civil rights and liberties.
Gredelj believes that trust in the legal system is a condition
without which it cannot function and as such the Judicial Council
must not appoint Vojnovic regardless of how qualified he was
because his biography points to his lack of credibility and his
inability to conduct his duty as a judge in Croatia.
Until 1991, Vojnovic was a judge in Vukovar Municipal Court. During
the Serb occupation, the Serbian media reported that in September
1992, Vojnovic was appointed the president of the Supreme Court in
the so-called Krajina. He was also the president of electoral
commissions at several elections organised by Serb rebels in that
region.
(hina) ms sb