RIJEKA, Oct 4 (Hina) - An investigating judge of the county court in the Croatian coastal city of Rijeka, Sajonara Culina, on Wednesday questioned two out of five invited witnesses who should be interrogated during the pre-trail
investigation in the case of Tihomir Oreskovic and other four suspects of 1991's war crimes against Serb civilians in the central Croatian town of Gospic. The first investigative hearing commenced this morning. The court's president Slavko Petric said a wife of one missing Serb had been questioned today. She said that on the grounds of a photograph she saw in a newspaper she recognised that one of the five arrested suspects could be a man who had taken his husband from their house in 1991 and since then the whereabouts of her husband has been unknown. The other interrogated witness was actually not a man whom the police investigation cited as a witness. The wrong man, who was invited to appea
RIJEKA, Oct 4 (Hina) - An investigating judge of the county court in
the Croatian coastal city of Rijeka, Sajonara Culina, on Wednesday
questioned two out of five invited witnesses who should be
interrogated during the pre-trail investigation in the case of
Tihomir Oreskovic and other four suspects of 1991's war crimes
against Serb civilians in the central Croatian town of Gospic.
The first investigative hearing commenced this morning.
The court's president Slavko Petric said a wife of one missing Serb
had been questioned today. She said that on the grounds of a
photograph she saw in a newspaper she recognised that one of the
five arrested suspects could be a man who had taken his husband from
their house in 1991 and since then the whereabouts of her husband
has been unknown.
The other interrogated witness was actually not a man whom the
police investigation cited as a witness. The wrong man, who was
invited to appear at court today, had the same name and surname of
the person whom the court wanted to question. He was nevertheless
questioned as that 'wrong' man is a forester who knows very well the
area where the 1991 events took place.
Petric told reporters that one of witnesses had not appeared today
as there were some problems in handing over a writ of summons to
him.
Another two witnesses have refused to come and give their
testimonies in the pre-trial investigation. One of them justified
his refusal saying he had already given testimony to the Gospic-
based court. The other said simply he did not want to come and ask
the court to let him alone. In this context Petric added that it was
possible that they would be served with subpoena.
Judge Culina is to interview another five witnesses on Thursday and
Friday.
Petric assessed that the procedure was being conducted in a correct
and professional manner. The court in Rijeka, however, does not
have sufficient equipment for this case and it will ask the Croatian
Justice Ministry to give technical assistance.
Asked when and how protected witnesses will be interviewed, Petric
responded that it was a sort of business secret of the court.
Defence lawyers told reporters that testimonies of the
interrogated witnesses in no way incriminated their defendants.
Tihomir Oreskovic, Ivan Jovanovic, Martin Markovic, Joso Miletic,
and Ivica Rozic were arrested in Gospic on Sept. 12. Owing to the an
insufficient number of judges at the Gospic County Court, the
Croatian Supreme Court transferred jurisdiction over the case to
the County Court in Rijeka. The five suspects were transferred to
Rijeka on Sept. 14, where they pleaded not guilty before Judge
Culina. They said their arrest was a rigged political process.
The arrests elicited stormy reactions by some veterans'
associations which organised protests and established
headquarters for the protection of the dignity of the Homeland
Defence War, Croatia's war of independence from the former Yugoslav
federation.
(hina) ms