ICTY OFFICIALS CONTINUE INTERVIEWING WITNESSES FROM INTERIOR, DEFENCE MINISTRIES

ZAGREB, Jan 14 (Hina) - Investigators of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague on Wednesday continued interviewing one of a number of witnesses, former and current employees of the Croatian interior and defence ministries, on Croatian army and police operations "Storm" and "Medak Pocket", sources from the Justice Ministry's department for cooperation with international courts said.#L# The interviews have resumed, officials at the department confirmed, but, like yesterday, they would not comment on who was being interviewed or where. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source close to the ministry said the investigators were continuing an interview with a witness whom they started interviewing yesterday and that all witnesses should be interviewed by the start of February. Media today were unable to obtain confirmation for their speculations that former Assistant Interior Ministers Marjan Benko and Josko Moric were among the witnesses. The media have reported that ICTY investigators will also talk to a former commander of the Lucko Anti-Terrorist Unit and current commander of the Interior Ministry's riot police, Josip Turkalj, former special police commander Ante Soljic, a former employee of the special police sector, Zdravko Janic, and a senior inspector for intelligence and counterintelligence activities at the Defence Ministry, Colonel Mihael Budimir. The investigators are reportedly interested in war developments in the period between 1993 and 1995, especially those involving members of the Interior Ministry, i.e. its special police. (Hina) rml sb