SARAJEVO, Nov 12 (Hina) - A Sarajevo Canton Court panel of judges on Tuesday acquitted six Croats who were charged with the murder of a Bosnian Federation deputy interior minister, Jozo Leutar.
SARAJEVO, Nov 12 (Hina) - A Sarajevo Canton Court panel of judges on
Tuesday acquitted six Croats who were charged with the murder of a
Bosnian Federation deputy interior minister, Jozo Leutar. #L#
After a trial which lasted more than 18 months and saw more than 50
witnesses questioned, the panel ruled there was no evidence to
corroborate the prosecution's claim that the six Croats had planned
and carried out the Leutar murder with the goal of toppling the
constitutional system of the Federation, Bosnia's Croat-Muslim
entity.
The prosecution claimed that Zeljko Cosic, Jedinko Bajkusa, Zoran
Basic, Dominik Ilijasevic, and Mario Milicevic had organised, at
General Ivan Andabak's orders, the planting of an explosive device
in Leutar's car.
In the blast which took place in downtown Sarajevo on 19 March 1999,
the front part of the car, which was driven by Cosic, was destroyed
completely, while Leutar sustained grave injuries to which he later
succumbed.
Salem Miso, which presided over the panel of judges, said the
decision on the acquittal had been made unanimously.
Explaining the decision, Judge Miso said every count of the
indictment had been based on the testimony of a sole witness. This
testimony was assessed as unreliable and contradictory.
The families of the accused announced they would seek damages for
the time the innocent spent behind bars.
(hina) ha sb