FOURTH SODOLOVCI GROUP MEMBER RELEASED ON BAIL

( Editorial: --> 0345 ) OSIJEK, Sept 14 (Hina) - Marinko Stankovic, a member of the Sodolovci Group accused of committing crimes against the civilian population during the Serbian aggression on Croatia, was released from custody on bail conditions on Friday night in order to defend himself in a renewed trial, the Osijek County Court said on Monday. The 19 members of the Sodolovci Group, so-called after their home village in eastern Slavonia, were tried in absentia in 1995 and given long-term prison sentences by the Osijek County Court for committing war crimes against civilians in the Croatian Danube River region during 1991 and 1992. This year the court approved a renewed procedure, under the condition that the accused members of the group surrender on the basis of the sentences delivered in 1995. Last Tuesday Stankovic, born in 1955, handed himself over to the investigative centre of the Osijek County Court. He is the fifth member of the group to surrender. For the three members who are also on bail, Zeljko Keskenovic, Vujo Halavanja and Pero Klickovic, the renewed procedure began on September 10. Another member, Goran Vusurevic, is still in custody because his request for a pre-trial release (bail) had been rejected. According to the Osijek County Court presidency, at the end of the week another four Sodolovci Group members - Petar Stanic, Djordje Rkman, Milorad Radic and Zdravko Kajcinovic - had sought a re-trial and bail. Their request has been rejected because they had not surrendered on the basis of the original sentence. They are still located on Yugoslav territory. In the renewed trial on September 10, an indictment identical to the one in the first procedure had been presented to the court. All 19 members are accused of killing 10 people and wounding another 28 during the shelling of neighbouring settlements in the period from July 1991 to May 1992, causing heavy damage and therefore committing war crimes against the civilian population. (Hina) mbr jn 142335 MET sep 98