PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON APRIL AMMUNITION DEPOT EXPLOSION

ZAGREB, July 14 (Hina) - The Parliament's home policy and national security committee on Thursday heard the findings of two commissions appointed to investigate the Sesvete explosion and the report of the investigating judge. Part of an ammunition depot in the Zagreb suburb of Sesvete blew up on April 7, wounding several people and inflicting extensive material damage. Six depot workers were reported missing. Head of the National Investigative Commission Hrvoje Sarinic said the commission established negligence in the management of the ammunition depot. Part of the depot was run by the Defence Ministry and another part by the Croatian army headquarters. There was no coordination between them, and defence ministry inspectors had not been performing their duty. Sarinic said the ammunition was stored with the fuses. Reporting on the findings of the Defence Ministry Investigative Commission, Minister Gojko Susak confirmed that the explosive had been stored ready for use and in excessive quantities. He said the commission assumed that the explosion started in Depot No. 4, which was under Croatian army control. The six missing workers were also employed by the Croatian army. Both Sarinic and Susak agreed that the explosion was probably an accident, but could not rule out sabotage. Reporting on the findings of the investigating judge, President of the Supreme Court Milan Vukovic said that it was 99 percent certain that an anti-tank mine in Depot No. 4 had been the first to blow up. The parliamentary Committee is to consider all these reports once again before the Saturday sitting. Following a protracted debate on evictions from defence ministry (former Yugoslav army) apartments, the parliamentary commission pronounced that the evictions were legal and thus could not constitute a violation of human rights. 141759 MET jul 94