SUICIDE OF DUBROVNIK AIRPORT EMPLOYEE NOT RELATED TO US PLANE CRAS

CRAS $ H - STATEMENT ZAGREB, Apr 8 (Hina) - The Croatian Ministry of the Interior today issued a statement denying that the suicide of a Dubrovnik airport employee on Saturday had anything to do with last week's crash of a US plane off the Dubrovnik airport and the subsequent death of all 35 passengers, including US Commerce Secretary Ronald Brown. The France Presse agency and several foreign TV stations speculated this morning about possible links between the suicide of a "flight control employee" and the crash of the US plane. Following is the full text of the statement: "Niko Jerkic, the head of the Dubrovnik ariport technical maintenance service was found dead on the 6th of April at about 18:30 hours. On the basis of circumstantial evidence, it was assumed that Niko Jerkic had committed suicide. The deceased was was employed in the maintenance service of the Dubrovnik airport. His job was in no way related to flight control. Moreover, the deceased was not on duty on the day of the tragic crash of the US plane (April 3). The deceased had had no communications with the flight control service and his death bears no connection to the tragic crash of the US plane. The Dubrovnik police department will continue to gather circumstancial evidence and otherwise investigate the death of Niko Jerkic." (hina) as 081559 MET apr 96