ZAGREB MOBSTERS LEAVE COURTROOM ZAGREB, Oct 23 (Hina) - Three prosecutors in the trial of Zagreb mobsters on Monday left the courtroom objecting to the decision by the panel of judges that proceedings against Miljenko Zaja Krojf,
third on the indictment, be conducted separately.
ZAGREB, Oct 23 (Hina) - Three prosecutors in the trial of Zagreb
mobsters on Monday left the courtroom objecting to the decision by
the panel of judges that proceedings against Miljenko Zaja Krojf,
third on the indictment, be conducted separately. #L#
After the president of the panel of judges, Ratko Scekic, explained
the decision, to which the prosecution had no right to appeal,
Deputy County State Prosecutor Dunja Pavlicek-Patak remarked, "it
is known that one can get away with leaving the courtroom, if one is
dissatisfied with a court decision," alluding to last week's
incident, when 13 attorneys for Zagreb mobsters left the
courtroom.
After this, she and two other deputy county state prosecutors,
Petar Dragosavac and Janjko Grlic, left the courtroom without the
permission of the panel of judges.
Judge Scekic said he would inform the County State Prosecutor's
Office and acting State Prosecutor Slavko Zadnik of the latest
incident.
At the last hearing, attorneys for indictee Zaja requested that
their client be tried separately due to his serious condition,
which was confirmed by expert witnesses, who said Zaja could not
attend the trial as he could not sit for a long time and would soon
undergo a series of operations. Zaja has been receiving medical
treatment at the Zagreb prison infirmary for injuries he suffered
in an assassination attempt last year.
Answering to the defence's request, the prosecution moved that the
expert witnesses take the stand and explain their findings, but the
court was unable to reach them and made today's decision on the
basis of the existing documentation. Scekic did not accept the
prosecution's motion that Zaja follow the trial via a video link
saying this possibility was still not provided for by the law.
At the beginning of today's hearing, the nine indictees whose
attorneys last Monday left the courtroom were asked if they wanted
to be represented by their original attorneys or court-appointed
attorneys. All but one, Miroslav Vukovic (twelfth on the
indictment), said they wanted to keep their original attorneys.
(hina) rml