PROBE LAUNCHED AGAINST SIX SUSPECTS IN OGULIN BARRACKS BLAST

KARLOVAC, March 13 (Hina) - Following Tuesday's questioning of two suspects, a Karlovac County Court investigating judge initiated a probe against conscript Danijel Dosen and five Croatian Armed Forces commanders, suspected of being responsible for a shell blast which occurred at the Ogulin barracks 'Sv. Petar' in mid-November last year. Investigating judge Davorin Rukavina questioned Dosen and platoon commander Ivica Skoro. The investigation also includes commanders Nikola Stjepan Vuk, Predrag Sinjori, Jerko Sabljo and Alojz Fleten. The commanders are suspected of having committed a punishable act against the Croatian Armed Forces due to negligence in supervising, which can be punished with fines or prison sentences of up to three years. Dosen, who sustained severe injuries in the explosion and lost one leg, is suspected of having jeopardised lives and property by carelessly manipulating weapons and faces fines or a prison sentence of up to five years. Judge Rukavina told reporters after the questioning that another 11 witnesses from Karlovac County would be questioned tomorrow. Other suspects would be questioned subsequently as they do not have residence in the area under the jurisdiction of the Karlovac court. Rukavina said the investigation would not be over soon, but he would speed it up as much as possible for the sake of the public. A total of 58 witnesses will be questioned during the investigation, he added. The explosion at the Ogulin barracks occurred on November 16, 2000 in an arms storage area during a conscripts training course, when a shell went off, seriously wounding four conscripts and inflicting light wounds to other 17 conscripts. The investigation is to establish why the shell was within the training area and how it got into the mortar the conscripts were cleaning. (hina) rml