DC OFFICIAL ON HAGUE INVESTIGATORS' INTERVIEWS WITH GOVT OFFICIALS

ZAGREB, Sept 19 (Hina) - Josko Moric, vice president of the Democratic Centre (DC) party and a former interior minister, has said the investigators of the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) have so far interviewed four incumbent government officials - members of the Interior Ministry, and two former officials, adding the interviews started last week and are still under way. It seems another 12 people should be interviewed, he told reporters in the parliament building, adding the government had received the request for interviews a month ago while the Interior Ministry received them three weeks ago. Moric did not speak about the names of the people ICTY investigators wanted to interview, but said the request referred to police commanders, former and current police commissioners and people connected with the Service for the Protection of the Constitutional Order (SZUP). He presented the case of Djurica Franjo, who was retired as Police Sector head and who was interviewed by the Hague investigators. The DC official said Franjo had authorised him to reveal his identity and describe his case. Moric spoke in great detail about the case, saying Franjo found a note at his door one evening, with a phone number and a message saying the Hague investigators had inquired about him. When he called the number, a translator confirmed there was interest in an interview with him and suggested a meeting at a civilian location, such as a restaurant. Franjo contacted the Interior Ministry and was told he should go ahead with the interview. He requested and received documents from the ministry but found them useless. Irritated by the conduct of government bodies, Franjo contacted the investigators and was interviewed. There were no officials from the Government Office for Cooperation with the ICTY present at the interview. Moric asserted ICTY investigators presented original documents during the interviews. One of the officers who questioned their authenticity was told they had been obtained from the state leadership. Asked if by that they meant the Government Office for Cooperation with the ICTY, they answered in the negative, adding the state leadership was not made up only of the government, Moric said. The DC official is particularly worried about double standards applied to people the ICTY wants to interview. He illustrated this with the case of military chief-of-staff general Petar Stipetic whom he said the government offered all possible help, but it failed to demonstrate such interest in Franjo's case. (hina) rml