ICTY PROSECUTOR LETS CROATIA INVESTIGATE GENERAL NORAC

ZAGREB, Feb 21 (Hina) - Chief prosecutor of the international war crimes tribunal, Carla del Ponte, said in Hague Wednesday she would allow the Croatian court system carry out all possible proceedings against retired Croatian general Mirko Norac. In the light of the fact that no indictment has been issued against Norac and on the basis of Article 9 of the tribunal's regulations on proceedings and evidence, the chief prosecutor has decided not to request the case be handled by the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia), the Tribunal said in a statement issued Wednesday. Del Ponte has taken into consideration the fact that the Croatian justice system recently initiated a criminal investigation against Mirko Norac for alleged crimes against civilians committed in central Croatia in 1991, during Croatia's war of independence. Croatia's judicial organs bear responsibility for the Norac case, for events which occurred in Gospic in 1991 and any other alleged crime committed between 1991 and 1995 in Croatia, the statement said. The Tribunal's chief prosecutor has announced assistance in providing possible evidence in the Norac case to investigative bodies and the prosecution. The Hague-based court's spokeswoman, Florence Hartman told Hina del Ponte's decision only related to the Norac case and does not imply all cases would be turned over to the Croatian judiciary. (hina) lml sb