ONLY UN CONFIRMS JADRANKO LUCIC'S SURRENDER

SARAJEVO, Nov 7 (Hina) - A spokesman for the United Nations mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina, on Tuesday confirmed that Jadranko Lucic, a suspect in Bosnian federal Deputy Interior Minister Jozo Leutar's assassination, had turned himself in to the Sarajevo-based cantonal court yesterday. He surrendered to the court yesterday and a warrant for his arrest was issued earlier this year, the spokesman Douglas Coffman told reporters. Lucic has so far been the fifth person believed to be implicated in the Leutar case whose identity has been made public, he added recalling that another four persons were in custody - Zoran Basic, Zeljko Cosic, Dominik Ilijasevic and Ivan Andabak. Zoran Basic the third on the indictment list, Zeljko Cosic the fourth on the list and Dominik Ilijasevic the second on that list were apprehended in Bosnia. The prime suspect in Leutar's murder - Ivan Andabak - was apprehended about two months ago in Croatia but he was arrested for another crime. According to this cantonal court's decision on launching an investigation into Leutar's murder, which happened in the mid- March 1999 in Sarajevo, Jadranko Lucic (aged 32), together with a person whose identity was not given, arrived from Kiseljak in Sarajevo in the morning of 16 March and activated an explosive device shortly after a car with Leutar inside it began moving. It is still unknown how Lucic and the other man activated the bomb. The assassination took place in Alipasina Street near the U.S. Embassy in the Bosnian capital. Leutar, who was sitting at the place by the driver, sustained grave injuries and died twelve days after the assassination. Douglas Coffman is the first independent source to have confirmed the voluntary surrender of Lucic. Lucic's defence lawyers and an investigating judge in the cantonal court have declined to comment on his surrender. The Interior Ministry of the (Croat-Moslem) Federation has not yet commented on this act, although it used to issue statements upon the arrest of other suspects during an investigation in Leutar's killing. The Sarajevo media also possess no information which may shed more light on Lucic's decision to turn himself in to the court Asked whether there was an open or sealed indictment against Lucic, the UN spokesman Coffman said this question could be answered only by the cantonal court in the Bosnian capital. You should ask Lucic's lawyers how he managed to learn of the fact that he was suspected of being involved in this case, Coffman told reporters. On Monday Lucic said that he learnt of his indictment by chance. He told reporters that he had never received summons nor did he know of any warrant issued for his arrest. The 'Oslobodjenje' daily described Lucic as 'the undercover aide' of Dominik Ilijasevic who was arrested about two months ago. Lucic, born in Sarajevo, moved into Kiseljak (outside the Bosnian capital) at the beginning of the war in 1992, according to the daily's article. The daily added that Kiseljak citizens described Lucic as a peaceful man with no police records but he allegedly "did different favours" for Ilijasevic. Lucic fled Kiseljak immediately after Ilijasevic's apprehension on 28 August this year and was believed to be staying in the town of Drvar (western Bosnia). The daily concluded that the probe into the Leutar's death could substantially be expedited if it might be proved that Lucic was really a direct assassin. Asked yesterday what prompted him to surrender voluntarily, Lucic, who is a member of the Bosnian Croat Defence Council (HVO), responded that he had nothing to fear as he was not guilty. He added that after he had learnt of that he was suspected of being implicated in Leutar's death, he did not live with his family as he was afraid of the apprehension. "I could no longer bear it and as I am innocent, I have decided to make this step," Lucic said on Monday. (hina) ms