ZAGREB COURT ORDERS ISSUING ARREST WARRANT FOR HAGUE INDICTEE

ZAGREB, July 23 (Hina) - The Zagreb County Court investigating judge on Monday issued an order to the Interior Ministry to issue an arrest warrant for a Hague indictee whom police have been after for the past ten days, Damir Kos, Vice President of the court, said.#L# Police reports state the indictee was not found on known addresses. The indictee's family, whom police spoke to, also did not know the indictee's whereabouts. The judge concluded issuing an arrest warrant was the only sure way to make the indictee appear before the court, Kos said in a statement. For "security reasons" the court did not reveal the name of the investigating judge in charge of the case. A court injunction for the arrest of the indictee, assumed but not officially confirmed as being retired General Ante Gotovina, was issued July 13 and expanded July 20. However, the indictee has not yet been bought to the court to be acquainted with the secret Hague indictment. The arrest warrant refers to Croatia. If the police assess the indictee is out of the country, an international arrest warrant may be issued through the Interpol. UN' International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) forwarded the warrant for the arrest and the extradition of the indictee, together with the sealed indictment, to the Croatian government June 8. The Zagreb County Court received it July 13 when the first arrest warrant was issued. The Hague Tribunal has accused the indictee of breaching the laws and customs of war, and crimes against humanity. It is assumed the crimes described in the indictment refer to the time during and after the liberation Operation Storm in 1995. (hina) np ha