GENERAL STIPETIC SPEAKS TO ITCY INVESTIGATORS IN ZAGREB

ZAGREB, Oct 25 (Hina) - Croatian Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff General Petar Stipetic gave a witness statement in Zagreb to investigators of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) about the Croatian liberation operations Pocket of Medak, Flash and Storm. After the six-hour interview, General Stipetic told reporters he had answered the same questions he had replied to when he was listed by ICTY as a suspect. "I was called as witness concerning the same questions I gave answers to previously as a suspect of the international war crimes tribunal. All the questions again related to the Pocket of Medak, Flash and Storm," Stipetic told the press. Asked to specify concrete issues he spoke with the investigators about, the general refused to reply, since his interview will continue on Friday, but did reiterate "they asked identical questions" to which he had given answers earlier. He again confirmed that "no concrete names or actions were mentioned", but "all questions related to the functioning and organisation of our entire army in the period of war," and added he was interviewed by the same investigator as the last time, and that three persons were present in the interview room. General Stipetic also spoke with ICTY investigators at the end of March as a suspect in connection with crimes committed during the liberation operations. At the beginning of May, ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte said Stipetic was no longer under investigation by the tribunal. (hina) lml sb