MAIN HEARING IN WAR CRIMES SUSPECT DINKO SAKIC TRIAL BEGINS

ZAGREB, Mar 15 (Hina) - The main hearing in the case against Dinko Sakic, accused of war crimes against civilians committed in Croatia during World War II, began in Zagreb on Monday. Before the charges against the defendant were read, court experts Dusan Zecevic and Stjepan Voeglein briefed the Zagreb County Court panel of judges about the defendant's health. On March 4, the panel of judges postponed the beginning of the main hearing after experts assessed Sakic was unable to participate in the hearing due to poor health. Voeglein told the court that medical documentation containing reports of experts who daily monitored the defendant's health and an examination performed by himself indicated that the symptoms evident after a March 2 episode had completely disappeared, while other signs also indicated regression. Based on everything, the conclusion was that from the neurological point of view, the defendant's health condition indicated improvement and was at present stable, Voeglein said. His colleague Zecevic said the defendant's health had been stable in the last week, and that there existed no medical reasons why Sakic could not participate in the hearing. Dinko Sakic was born in Studenci, Croatia, in 1921, and is a citizen of Croatia and Argentina. He is a private entrepreneur, unemployed, with no income or assets. Asked by the head of the panel of judges Drazen Tripalo what schools he had finished, the defendant said that in 1934 he was expelled from all schools in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia due to his emphasis on Croathood. He said he had finished four grades of elementary and four grades of secondary school. Asked whether he had served in the army, the defendant said he voluntarily entered the Ustasha Defence units (in the Independent State of Croatia - 1941-1945) on February 18, 1942. He stayed in the units until May 7, 1945. His status was Captain First Class and he had not been decorated. (hina) ha