KOLANOVIC DENIES REPUBLIKA'S CLAIM THAT ICTY REPS. WERE IN ARCHIVE

ZAGREB, Jan 18 (Hina) - The head of the Croatian State Archive, Josip Kolanovic, on Thursday resolutely refuted the news published in today's issue of the Zagreb daily 'Republika' that claimed that UN war crimes court (ICTY) investigators had visited the state archives and 'searched' some documents and transcripts during their stay in the country. "Being the head of the state archives, I resolutely deny that information, as the archive has not yet received the documents and transcripts (which the Government recently decided to store in that institution) and thus they could not be examined," Kolanovic said repeating that the article in the daily gave false information. I don't know how it could link the Archives with the work of the Hague Tribunal's prosecution, Kolanovic said adding that it was incomprehensible that a newspaper published such information without checking it with the relevant institution. A week ago, the Ivica Racan Cabinet passed a decision on the take- over and use of documentation which belonged to the former Croatian president, the late Franjo Tudjman. The notes and documents compiled during his presidential term of office will be taken by the State Archive. According to some speculations, some of this material can be interesting for the ICTY. (hina) ms