ZUROFF: WE HAVE INDISPUTABLE EVIDENCE OF SAKIC'S GUILT - SECOND LEAD

( Editorial: --> 5061 ) ZAGREB, July 2 (Hina) - We are retransmitting Wednesday night's news item HNA5061 headlined "Zuroff: We Have Indisputable Evidence of Sakic's Guilt" with the appropriate corrections. The new version reads as follows: SPLIT, July 1 (Hina) - Director of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre in Jerusalem Ephraim Zuroff told a news conference in Split on Wednesday that the Centre had indisputable evidence about crimes committed by Dinko Sakic, a former commander of the Jasenovac concentration camp in the Independent State of Croatia (NDH, 1941- 1945). Zuroff added the evidence would be presented to the Croatian Justice Ministry on Friday. He is visiting Croatia under the organisation of the Association for Religious Freedom in Croatia. Zuroff told reporters witnesses in the Sakic case, where pre-trial proceedings are currently being held, have to be ensured great security. Asked whether a possibility existed that Sakic could be released, Zuroff said he doubted, but if such a thing did happen, it would show that the trial was a farce. We will not show all our cards now, Zuroff said. He added that attempts to present Sakic as an innocent child in Croatia had gone overboard. Good evidence was also collected concerning Sakic's wife, Nada, but the Centre has not yet reached a decision on a request for extradition. It has only requested an investigation. Asked how it was possible for Dinko Sakic to live and travel around the world freely for 50 years, Zuroff said it was well known that Sakic lived in Argentina, but not exactly where. After World War II, the largest Nazi criminals were targeted and now the tip of the iceberg has begun to be uncovered by the arrest of, for example, Erich Priebke for crimes he committed in Rome and Dinko Sakic, he said. For example, in Lithuania, 95 per cent of Jews were killed by locals rather than by Germans, he said. Asked whether the Simon Wiesenthal Centre had requested that the name of Mile Budak street in Split (south Croatia) be changed, Zuroff replied affirmatively. Although Mile Budak was a Croatian writer, he was also a minister in the Ustasha government (NDH) and roads bearing his name relayed the wrong message to the world, Zuroff said. He added that Wagner was also a great composer, but his music is not listened to in Israel because he was particularly glorified during the period of Nazi-fascism. (hina) lml /mbr 021301 MET jul 98