JUSTICE MINISTER REQUESTS JUDGE LOZINA BE DISMISSED

ZAGREB, Oct 28 (Hina) - Croatian Justice Minister Ingrid Anticevic Marinovic on Monday filed a request to the State Judicial Council (DSV) to initiate disciplinary proceedings and dismissal of Split judge Slavko Lozina, the minister's cabinet reported. #L# Criminal proceedings have been instigated against judge Lozina for founded suspicion that he had committed a crime by failing to assist a person heavily injured in a traffic accident. If the suspicions are confirmed, the charges would be extended to the act of damaging the reputation of the court and profession of judge, for which Lozina should be punished by being dismissed from his duty as judge at Split County Court, the minister said. The minister also suggested that the DSV should decide to immediately temporarily dismiss Lozina because while Lozina is burdened with the suspicion of having committed this crime, he would not be able to perform his current duties. On October 17, the DSV granted criminal proceedings against Slavko Lozina. Lozina is the presiding judge in the trial against eight military police officers charged with war crimes committed in Split's Lora military prison in 1992 and 1993. Last Friday, the municipal state prosecution submitted an indictment to the Split County Court, charging Lozina for causing a traffic accident on April 18, and not helping a heavily injured professor from Split, Djovanni de Michela Vittura. Lozina told police and an investigating judge that he had not caused the accident, stating that he had been driving on the street when he saw a vehicle behind him "reeling", but he did not stop, since this had nothing to do with his vehicle. If the DSV suspends judge Lozina, the Lora case trial, as well as other trials he is presiding, would be taken away from him and assigned to another judge. In this case, the trials should begin from square one. (hina) lml