ATTORNEY REFUTES KUTLE WOULD TESTIFY FOR PROSECUTION

ZAGREB, Dec 5 (Hina) - The defence attorney for one of four suspects accused of establishing an illegal media cartel, media magnate Miroslav Kutle, on Tuesday refuted the writing of the Nacional weekly that Kutle would begin talking about the media manipulation of the four. The Nacional weekly writes "squashed by evidence" and convinced Pavic, Grubisic and Pasalic had "left him out to dry", Kutle told police at the Remetinec penitentiary he would divulge "media and business manipulation acts he had been carrying out with the help of Pavic and Grubisic, with the political patronage of Ivic Pasalic". Defence Attorney Anto Nobilo told Hina he was present at Kutle's talks with police on Monday and there was no word of Kutle's turncoating. "There was no word of this during the talks which lasted about thirty minutes," Nobilo stressed. Asked whether it was possible Kutle had talked to police without his knowledge, Nobilo said he did not think so, as "this would be illegal". Kutle has been in custody of the Zagreb municipal penitentiary since February in connection to the Tisak publishing company case. Since Monday he has been a suspect in the "Grupo" affair, a secret partnership contract with the aim of controlling Croatian media. (hina) lml jn