KUTLE QUESTIONED IN CONNECTION WITH NEW INVESTIGATION REQUEST

ZAGREB, Oct 19 (Hina) - Zagreb County Court investigating judge Ivan Turudic on Thursday questioned Miroslav Kutle, Zdenko Francetic and Petar Anic in connection with a new investigation request, charging them and seven other persons of causing damage of more than 60 million kuna (about US$6.976 million) to Croatia's largest press distributor 'Tisak'. The new investigation request includes a number of changes to the charges of abuse of office in business operations in the Tisak case, filed following Kutle's arrest in February this year. These new charges are not included in the indictment the Zagreb court had already issued against Kutle and on the basis of which he and 12 other persons were put on trial at the beginning of this week. According to Kutle's attorney Ante Nobilo, his client pleaded not guilty to all charges, adding the investigation request was illogical and was the result of expectations of political and interest groups. Francetic and Anic, former Tisak managers, also pleaded not guilty, whereas a former member of the Tisak management, Bozidar Maric, did not appear in court because he had not been served with summons on time. According to the current indictment, Kutle is charged with having incited former members of Tisak's management and his business partners to abuse their office in business operations and forge documents. The prosecution maintains that although he was not the majority owner of Tisak, Kutle had instructed the former management and business partners to give loans to other companies, which, in turn, through various clearance contracts forwarded the money to the companies from Kutle's 'Globus Holding' company. This way, the prosecution claims, 47 million kuna (about US$5.465 million), was drained from Tisak. (hina) rml