ICTY WITHOUT DATE FOR INDICTMENT AGAINST MILOSEVIC FOR CRIMES IN BOSNIA, CROATIA

ZAGREB, April 2 (Hina) - Florence Hartmann, spokeswoman for the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY), could not confirm on Monday claims by the Italian paper 'La Repubblica' saying the tribunal would issue an indictment against former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic for crimes committed in the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina by early May at the latest. Hartmann said she could not confirm the indictment would be issued in May and that the tribunal did not have any set date. She added that the investigation in Milosevic's individual responsibility for war crimes in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia had been underway for several years. It is not known whether one indictment will be preceded by another, Hartmann said adding everything depended on evidence the tribunal needed, however, indictments would be issued both for Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Hague war crimes tribunal expects the indictment against Milosevic for Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia will be issued in the next several weeks or months, she said. Asked whether the indictment against Milosevic would include genocide charges, Hartmann said the tribunal was working on this but that did not mean it would succeed. The Sunday issue of 'La Repubblica' ran an interview with ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte, who said the indictment against Milosevic for crimes committed in Bosnia-Herzegovina would be made public by early May at the latest as well as that it could include charges for genocide. (hina) rml