OHR: ATTEMPT TO DISBAND HVO IS ILLEGAL

SARAJEVO, March 29 (Hina) - The attempted disbanding of Croat units in the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina Army is a violation of the country's laws and such acts will be subject to an investigation which will result in the punishment of responsible persons, a spokesperson for the Office of the High Representative (OHR) said in Sarajevo on Thursday. Commenting on the latest events in the Federation army's Croat component, the Croat Defence Council (HVO), spokeswoman Alexandra Stiglmayer told reporters the OHR expected an investigation would be launched against persons who organised the disbanding of some HVO units. She said the individuals responsible for the disbanding of the units would have to face consequences. This would not include all members of the federal army because the OHR is aware that many of them have been exposed to great pressure, she said. SFOR spokesman Andrew Coxhead told reporters all weapons and equipment of the Croat units was under control and well-guarded. The SFOR is controlling all military facilities in the country and the weapons of the Croat component are guarded by the Federation Army's Croat soldiers, he said. The SFOR has no information yet about the number of HVO members who have decided to follow the call of the so-called Croat National Congress (HNS) to disband or how many of them are loyal to the federal authorities. The OHR believes that the attempt to disband the HVO is an operation devised and conducted by a group of extremists from the HDZ (the country's Croatian Democratic Union party). The OHR and SFOR have urged Croat members of the Federation Army to express loyalty to the legally elected authorities thus showing that they are able to carry out their duties in a professional manner. Wolfgang Petritsch's office does not have yet any information as to which funds have been used for the payment of 500 DM to each officer and soldier who show solidarity with the HDZ. This is a matter the federal authorities and the financial police should investigate, Stiglmayer said. The Sarajevo weekly 'Slobodna Bosna' on Thursday ran an article saying the HDZ was financing its self-government project through "classic mob racketeering", seeking "voluntary financial support" from most profitable companies in the country's southern Herzegovina region. The owners of the Mostar-based companies 'Inter-invest' and 'Primorka', Dinko Slezak and Marjan Primorac, were recently requested to pay 300,000 DM each for the Croat self-government, the weekly reported. The daily 'Oslobodjenje' reports that money transfers from Herzegovina to Croatia have grown frequent recently. According to sources in the federal financial institutions, several million German marks were transferred over the last several days from Herzegovina to the Zagrebacka Bank office in Opuzen. Three bags with more than 1.5 million US dollars were sent through the Mostar airport to the Zagrebacka Bank central office on March 19. The Herzegovacka Bank has allegedly transferred a significant amount of cash onto the accounts of the Privredna Bank, the daily claims. According to the federal bodies of authority, it is, at the very least, unusual that commercial banks are transferring that much money in such a short period. (hina) rml