CROATIAN GOVT. REJECTS UNPROFOR'S ACCUSATIONS

ZAGREB,. Nov 2 (Hina) - The Croatian Govt. Public Relations Office isued a statement by the Vice-Premier Ivica Kostovic in reference to the accusations stated in UNPROFOR's report on the "incursion" of the Croatian Army in the Medak pocket on September 9, which had been released on October 7. On the basis of the Croatian Govt. working group for investigation of the stated accusations and military and other sources, Vice-Premier Kostovic "resolutely rejects the accusation saying that there was intentional killing of Serbian civilians, neither during the Croatian Army action, nor during their pulling out." The statement also quotes that "based on the documents the Govt. was presented by the Croatian Defense Ministry, any possibility of planned or commanded systematic destruction of houses and hamlets in the Medak pocket can most vigorously be rejected." "The mentioned premature report by UNPROFOR with previously stated serious qualifications on the crime is not in harmony with UNPROFOR's proclaimed unbiased attitude and presents unnecessary pressure on Croatian legislative administration, UN Expert Commission and the International Court for War Crimes," Vice-Premier Kostovic said. "The fact that 10 members of Serbian paramilitary forces were detained during the action clearly shows that the Croatian Army did not intend to eliminate every enemy soldier. Those detainees were treated according to all international conventions and laws of the Republic of Croatia, which was also verified by the ICRC," the statement says. The statement also states detailed information refuting the accusation on killing the civilians. "I stress that the civilians who were living in three quoted hamlets were in service of Serbian paramilitary forces," Kostovic said and added that 13 detained persons were released immediately after the action, and that UNPROFOR took over about 20 civilians on Oct. 18, 1993. Kostovic also repeated the data quoted on the letter forwarded earlier by Croatian Foreign Minister Granic to UN Special Rapporteur Mazowiecki saying that two of five women killed during the action were killed in battle. Their bodies were handed over to the Serbian side (Croatian Army delivered the total of 52 bodies to the Serbian side). The remaining three women fell victims of close range shots while they were guiding groups of terrorists who were trying to escape. The destiny of the killed somen found by UNPROFOR "cannont be discussed, since the forensic pathologists in the Republic of Croatia did not have the opportunity to deliver the bodies of the deceased," according to Kostovic and adds that multiple through wounds quoted by UNOPROFOR confirm the possibility that those women were killed while in the houses that served as armed strongholds for the Serbian paramilitary forces. (End) j-vk 021727 MET nov 93