ZAGREB COUNTY COURT RECEIVES REQUEST TO PROBE 'GRUPO' SUSPECTS

ZAGREB, Jan 17 (Hina) - A Zagreb County Court investigating judge told Hina on Wednesday he received today a request to investigate media tycoon Miroslav Kutle and several other suspects in the Grupo media scandal. The request does not seek their detention. Judge Kresimir Devcic declined to say what the Zagreb County State Prosecutor's Office demanded in its request, only saying detention was not sought for any suspect. According to the request, Kutle and the others, whose names are not stated, are suspected of abusing powers in economic transactions and creating a monopolistic position on the market via the Grupo joint stock company. The request was issued after police submitted to the Prosecutor's Office additional notes and documentation on acts the suspects are charged with. According to Vesna Alaburic, attorney of press distributor Europapress holding, today's investigation request should be turned down. The penalty for the crimes the suspects are charged with is less than ten years in prison, which makes the municipal and not the county state prosecutor's office the body competent to file the investigation request, she told Hina. She also said the request filed today differed considerably from the one filed in December, when the suspects were charged with association to commit criminal acts. According to unofficial reports, the other suspects are Ninoslav Pavic, one of the owners of Europapress holding, Vinko Grubisic, one of the founders of local television station OTV, Globus Group attorney Drazen Mandic, and Obiteljski Radio director Juraj Krvacic. Moreover, the new investigation request does not include four suspects the Zagreb police pressed charges against last month. The Grupo scandal broke early last December when the Republika newspaper in its very first issue said that Pavic, Grubisic, Kutle, and Ivic Pasalic under the alias Hrvoje Franjic had associated with intent to assume control over Croatia's media space. Pavic and Grubisic had been held in custody for two days before they were released owing to lack of evidence. A police investigation, however, remained open. (hina) ha