MUNIB SULJIC GOES ON TRIAL FOR EXTORTION

ZAGREB, Nov 16 (Hina) - The Zagreb Municipal Court on Thursday started the trial of Munib Suljic, accused of extortion and two extortion attempts in June this year. The Croatian public, however, links Suljic's name with two criminal acts in 1992, for which he was processed and released due to a procedural error. One criminal act referred to the murder of Serb civilians in Pakracka Poljana and the other to the murder of Zagreb's Zec couple and their 12-year-old daughter. Also mentioned in the indictment, which charges Suljic with the extortion of DM30,000 from Tomislav Bogdanic in June this year, is the Zec case. The prosecution claims that Suljic, threatening to kill Bogdanic, whom he had previously beaten up with another person, said he would "cut his throat" and that "what he did to the Zec family is nothing to what he would do to him (Bogdanic)." Another case, bringing Suljic in the spotlight, occurred this week. The 'Nacional' weekly quoted him as saying he had been hired to kill one of the leaders of Croatia's ruling coalition and president of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), Drazen Budisa. (hina) jn rml