ICTY PROSECUTOR REQUESTS ARRIVAL OF CRO DEFENCE OR JUSTICE

THE HAGUE, Jan 13 (Hina) - The prosecution of the International Criminal Tribunal (ICTY) for the former Yugoslavia on Thursday requested the Tribunal to issue an order for Croatia to designate a senior official, either the Defence Minister or the Justice Minister who would under oath explain what had been done to fulfil requests for the hand over of documents regarding the "Kordic- Cerkez" case requested by the Prosecutor's Office and the trial chamber as of the beginning of last year. It is the view of the Prosecution that Croatia's case of non- cooperation was not an isolated case ... rather a part of a strategy, a campaign to loiter, resist and obstruct the work of the Tribunal, prosecutor Kenneth Scott told the trial chamber hearing the case against Bosnian Croats Dario Kordic and Mario Cerkez. It would be too simple for an attorney to come and give generalised guarantees ... it is different when a responsible person raises his hand (in oath) ... facing criminal liability, he said. The session at which the prosecution and Croatia's legal representatives discussed the hand over of documents was for the first time open for the public. Croatia was represented by attorneys Lee Casey and David Rivkin. Rivkin dismissed the assessments by the prosecution that Croatia had not been cooperating with the ICTY. Croatia has never taken on the stance by which it would accept a general strategy of non-cooperation with the Tribunal, Rivkin said. The trial chamber on Thursday did not decide on the requests, but announced it would issue its decision in written form. (hina) lml mm