LITTLE INFORMATION ON WARRANT FOR ARREST OF HAGUE INDICTEE

ZAGREB, July 19 (Hina) - The Croatian Ministry of the Interior on Thursday responded to the warrant the Zagreb County Court issued last week for the arrest of a Hague indictee, Court Vice-President Damir Kos said, refusing to comment on the content of the ministry's official letter. The ministry did not want to comment on its response to the court i.e. the measures taken regarding the warrant and the indictee's whereabouts either. The Zagreb County Court forwarded the warrant to the ministry and the Zagreb police department upon receiving a secret indictment and warrant for the arrest and extradition of an indictee to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on July 13. Although the name of the indictee has not been officially announced yet, it is speculated that the indictee is retired general Ante Gotovina, which has been indirectly confirmed by Prime Minister Ivica Racan in a radio broadcast. Under the Law on the Criminal Procedure, if the police do not find the person for whom an arrest warrant has been issued, an investigating judge may order that the ministry issue an arrest warrant for the territory of Croatia, which would be forwarded to all police departments and stations, including the border police. If the police fail to find the wanted person and assume them to be out of the country, the ministry can issue an international arrest warrant through Interpol. (hina) np rml