TRIAL BEGINS IN ZAGREB FOR MURDER OF EMINENT CROATIAN EMIGRANT

ZAGREB, Nov 9 (Hina) - On the first day of the main hearing in the Vinko Sindicic trial at the Zagreb County Court on Tuesday, the defendant denied murdering eminent Croatian political emigrant Bruno Busic. Sindicic is charged with murdering Busic in Paris on 16 October 1978 at an order and in the organisation of the SDS, a former Yugoslav national security service. Even though he claimed he would stand mute, the defendant today on several occasions commented on the investigation and allegations made in the indictment. Sindicic said he had an alibi that he had not killed Busic, and asserted there was neither evidence nor witnesses who could confirm he was the murderer. Data on the murder should be searched among persons who took part in "Croatian Spring", a democratic movement from 1971, and who after its suppression continued working for Yugoslav secret services, he said. The defendant claimed he had been subjected to frequent threats made through "various channels" since the early 1990s, when he was serving in Scotland a 15-year sentence for the attempted murder of Croatian political emigrant Nikola Stedul. The threats have continued since his custody in Zagreb, he said. Asked by panel of judges president Damir Kos who threatened him and how, Sindicic said Stedul "threatened me through the media", while newly elected Constitutional Court judge Vice Vukojevic did so "through a 'connection'." He added Bozo Vukusic, present in court, had also threatened him. Judge Kos then removed Vukusic, as a possible witness, out of the court. Reporters learned from defence attorney Tihomir Rubesa that Vukusic was an adviser and researcher at the Commission for the Research of Victims of the War and Post-War Period, whose deputy chairman is Vukojevic. Sindicic said Vukusic "was manipulated by some people" who wanted Sindicic to be a "scapegoat." He added he had also been threatened by another person who he declined to name at present. Since the defendant opted for standing mute, Judge Kos read the statements which Sindicic made to the investigating judge on three occasions. In the first one, which contains a long biography, the defendant said that at the time of the Busic murder, he had been in a Paris cafe, while in the third statement he denied the first one and said he had not been in Paris at all. Sindicic said in his statement that Busic had been mistakenly murdered by Jozo Milos, who was supposed to murder a diplomat. He stated he had met Busic in Paris in 1969, and that he had never contacted him afterwards. County State Attorney Radovan Santek turned down a request the defence made yesterday for the exemption of Deputy County State Attorney Ivica Ovcar from the trial. The panel of judges accepted the prosecution's request for the interrogation of about 30 witnesses named in the indictment and interrogated during investigation. The main hearing will resume on 15 November, with statements from the first prosecution witnesses. (hina) ha jn