ZAGREB COUNTY COURT ISSUES STATEMENT ON SAKIC TRIAL

ZAGREB, March 4 (Hina) - Reporters covering the trial of Dinko Sakic were on Thursday given copies of a statement released by the Zagreb County Court, presenting today's course of events at the court. At 9.30am, all those who had been summonsed to appear at the trial of the commander of the Jasenovac concentration camp during World War II arrived at the Zagreb County Court Main Courtroom. After the announcement of criminal proceedings against the defendant, pursuant to the indictment by the Zagreb County State Attorney's Office for the criminal act of war crime against the civil population, president of the panel of judges - Judge Drazen Tripalo - announced the composition of the panel and standby and lay judges. The panel is presided over by Judge Drazen Tripalo and its members are Zagreb County Court judges Sonja Breskovic Balent and Mirjana Magud and lay judges Zoran Prendivoj, Mira Gaspar, Veljko Zednik and Anka Pem. Standby members of the panel are a County Court judge Marina Paulic and lay judges Zdravko Vlah and Ljubica Kovacev. After Tripalo informed the parties that, in accordance with the Law on Criminal Procedure, there were no circumstances regarding any lay judge which could be reason for their exclusion from the panel, the parties agreed they had no objections to the composition of the panel nor wanted the exclusion of any member. Considering reports on the defendant's health problems, the president of the panel decided that expert witnesses should give their opinion regarding the defendant's medical documentation and assess whether he is able to participate in the trial. Expert witnesses Dr Dusan Zecevic, head of the Institute for Forensics, and Dr Stjepan Voeglein, a neurologist, assessed that the defendant could not participate in the trial because of his condition. With adequate medical treatment, his condition could be stabilised or improved in about ten days, they added. After the defence and the prosecution agreed on proposing a postponement of the trial, Tripalo decided that it should be postponed for March 15, 1999, to begin at 9.30am. The expert witnesses questioned today are obliged to follow Sakic's condition until the beginning of the trial. Prior to the beginning, they will be questioned about the defendant's condition, said the County Court statement, signed by Court Vice President Damir Kos. (hina) rml