PULA, Oct 18 (Hina) - The main hearing in the trial of former Tourism Minister Ivan Herak began in the northern Adriatic port of Pula on Wednesday with the reading of the indictment which charges him and another five with abuse of
position to make illegal property gain exceeding four million kuna ($460,000). The defendants pleaded not guilty. The team of attorneys defending the former minister accused county state prosecutor Vlatko Nuic of offering the defendants certain privileges through illegal contacts. Nuic refuted the accusation. State attorney proxy Igor Rakic submitted to the court a damages claim exceeding one million kuna ($115,000), the amount by which the state was damaged through transactions attributed the defendants. The first day of the main hearing was marked by Herak's gesticulating to county state prosecutor Nuic. Herak pointed with a finger to his handcuffs, indicating they might soon be on Nuic's wris
PULA, Oct 18 (Hina) - The main hearing in the trial of former Tourism
Minister Ivan Herak began in the northern Adriatic port of Pula on
Wednesday with the reading of the indictment which charges him and
another five with abuse of position to make illegal property gain
exceeding four million kuna ($460,000).
The defendants pleaded not guilty.
The team of attorneys defending the former minister accused county
state prosecutor Vlatko Nuic of offering the defendants certain
privileges through illegal contacts. Nuic refuted the accusation.
State attorney proxy Igor Rakic submitted to the court a damages
claim exceeding one million kuna ($115,000), the amount by which
the state was damaged through transactions attributed the
defendants.
The first day of the main hearing was marked by Herak's
gesticulating to county state prosecutor Nuic. Herak pointed with a
finger to his handcuffs, indicating they might soon be on Nuic's
wrists.
Nuic declined to comment on the gesture, saying only that it had
been taped by the state television cameras airing the trial.
(hina) ha jn