INTERIOR MINISTRY REJECTS CLAIMS IN NEW AMNESTY INT REPORT

( Editorial: --> 1802 ) ZAGREB, Aug 4 (Hina) - The Croatian Interior Ministry (MUP) has released data which it says shows that police have resolved significantly more than half of the large number of criminal offences, including 47 murders, committed in areas liberated during operation "Storm". The MUP was reacting to Amnesty International's (AI) release on Tuesday of a new report which claimed among other things that several hundred murders committed in these central Croatian areas remained unconfirmed and uninvestigated. MUP data shows that from August 4, 1995 to May 31 this year, a total of 5,705 criminal offences and 4,215 suspected perpetrators had been reported in the areas liberated during operation "Storm" in the summer of 1995. It said 2,981 cases had been resolved. The offences reported included 47 murders (40 suspects), 91 robberies (96 suspects), 4,437 cases of serious theft (3,975 suspects) and 1,130 illegal starts of explosives and fires (104 suspects). Resolved cases included 26 for murder, 50 for robberies, 2,798 for serious theft and 107 for explosives and fires. The Ministry says the greatest number of crimes occurred until the end of 1995. This period recorded 26 murders (16 resolved), 41 robberies (25 resolved) and 1,600 cases of serious theft (1,151 resolved). During the following years the number of criminal offences had been in constant decline. In the first five months of this year there were recorded only two murders (of which one was resolved), eight robberies (three resolved) and 293 cases of serious theft (136 resolved). It can bee seen from police data that especially in 1995 in the liberated areas there was a higher number of explosions and fires (831) whose perpetrators at a significant rate remained undetected. Since Croatian police took over control of the areas, the means for destruction had been removed, and the number of explosions and fires considerably reduced. In 1996 there were 152 cases (34 resolved) and the following year 87 cases (27 resolved). Until the end of May this year there were 60 recorded cases and more than half had been resolved. The Interior Ministry says that police, as soon as they entered the areas, received special directions to protect the lives of all citizens caught up in the conflict, especially the refugee population of Croat and Serb nationality, and participate in caring for the elderly and weak. It said police were unable to prevent a certain number of cases of violence and murder, because they were committed by individuals and smaller groups of people beyond the control of Croatian authorities and who had revenge or criminal motives. The AI report released on the third anniversary of operation "Storm" claimed that former police officers had given testimony to the courts on how their commands were not related to the protection of civilians, as the Croatian authorities had informed the international community, but on the "protection of cultural objects or on the shooting of everything that moves". The human rights organisation believes the Croatian authorities often mention the large number of investigations and prosecutions underway, but that suspected perpetrators continue to be unpunished. (Hina) mbr 042202 MET aug 98