VETERANS' MINISTER DISCLOSES NAMES OF FAKE MILITARY INVALIDS

ZAGREB, June 15 (Hina) - Croatian Veterans' Minister Ivica Pancic on Wednesday evening disclosed the names of fake military invalids, among whom are several senior Croatian army officers. A government commission revising invalidity in the Croatian army issued a decision annulling military invalid status to generals Zivko Budimir, military police department head Mato Lausic, Osijek-Baranja County prefect Branimir Glavas, Matko Kakariga, former assistant defence minister Ivan Tolj, former First Croatian Guard Corps commander Mile Cuk, and Rear Admiral Ante Budimir. Military invalid status has also been annulled to Bozidar Klasic, Zdravko Vladanovic and Kresimir Cop, president of the Croatian Homeland War Volunteers' Association in Varazdin County. All rights under the former status run out of force on June 30. The military invalid status has been partly annulled to general Djuro Srnec, general Nojko Marinovic, and Vinko Vrbanac, while it has been entirely annulled to Josip Perisa, president of the Croatian Homeland War Military Invalids' Association in Sibenik- Knin County, Milan Gveric, Darko Bestek, and Zvonko Saradic. General Marinko Kresic's file has not been found so the Veterans' Ministry decided to repeat proceedings to establish invalidity. Minister Pancic said among the mentioned were some invalids whose status was not in question. The degree of their invalidity is questionable and they will have to explain it in repeated proceedings, he emphasised. The minister said these were employees in the Croatian army and Veterans' Ministry. The annulment of military invalidity status "has launched the clearing of irregularities in institutions which were a source of irregularities in the acquisition of Croatian military invalid status." The persons whose status has been annulled will have to return all the money they received on the basis of the invalidity status. Several Croatian army senior officials whose names surfaced on the list asserted they were wrongfully listed, harshly criticised Minister Pancic who initiated the revision of the invalidity status, and announced legal action. General Branimir Glavas said he possessed complete medical documentation corroborating his military invalidity, adding he had tried to notify Pancic on several occasions. "Since I possess information that Pancic personally urged that I be on that list, there is nothing else for me but to sue the state and Minister Pancic personally," Glavas told Croatian Television on Wednesday evening. General Mile Cuk too announced legal action, asserting there were witnesses who could corroborate his wounding, besides proper legal documentation. He added he had already passed both first and second degree revisions, and that since there had been no changes at all, he considered Pancic's decision "political persecution." General Ivan Tolj, referring to Minister Pancic, said he was "surprised at the hastiness, lack of professionalism and amorality of the man who should represent the dignity of Croatia's veterans." Defence Minister Jozo Rados said his ministry would step up the second stage of an internal investigation into the mentioned senior officers. If the second stage too establishes irregularities were committed in the process of acquiring the invalidity status, disciplinary action will be taken, ultimately meaning a dishonourable discharge from the Armed Forces. We will then leave it up to civil institutions of authority to deal with those officers, Rados said. Prime Minister Ivica Racan said he was confident the government commission had operated conscientiously, "and if there have been mistakes, they can still be corrected." "It is all along the line of efforts to normalise life in Croatia and to correct certain mistakes or abuses which occurred in the past," Racan said yesterday. (hina) ha jn