SUSPECT DENIES CHARGES OF MURDERING CRO POLITICAL EMIGRANT

ZAGREB, Nov 17 (Hina) - Vinko Sindicic, a suspect in the murder of a Croatian political emigrant on the order of a former Yugoslav secret police (UDBA), on Tuesday began presenting his defence at the Zagreb County Court. The 55-year-old Sindicic, who was extradited on Monday from Scotland where he completed serving a prison sentence for the attempted murder of another Croatian political emigrant, rejected the charges that he killed Bruno Busic in Paris in 1978 or committed "any political assassination, against any Croatian political emigrant in the world." According to Sindicic's court-appointed attorney Zdenko Haramija, his client stated that he had seen Busic in 1969 and never again. Sindicic did not suggest any witness for his alibi, Haramija said. He added he did not know why Sindicic had stated his defence, despite his recommendation that he make no statement. Asked whether his client had spoken about UDBA's work, Haramija said, "there was no talk about that, because the defendant had not worked for that service, as is being stated in public." The suspect denied that he had been given a gun by the then current federal interior secretary of Yugoslavia or any gift by the UDBA. The investigation will continue next week. (hina) ha mm