ZAGREB, Feb 12 (Hina) - The trial of a former MP and assistant defence minister, Ljubo Cesic Rojs, and the manager of the "Hrvatski dragovoljac" soccer club, Stjepan Spajic, which was due to start on Thursday, was postponed because
Cesic's defence attorney requested that prosecutor Goran Markovic be excluded on suspicion of partiality.
ZAGREB, Feb 12 (Hina) - The trial of a former MP and assistant defence
minister, Ljubo Cesic Rojs, and the manager of the "Hrvatski
dragovoljac" soccer club, Stjepan Spajic, which was due to start on
Thursday, was postponed because Cesic's defence attorney requested
that prosecutor Goran Markovic be excluded on suspicion of
partiality.#L#
The Zagreb County Prosecutor's Office will make a decision on the
request by February 20, when a new hearing will be held.
The prosecution charges Rojs with having committed three criminal acts
in his capacity as Assistant Defence Minister and head of the
ministry's department for the management of resources in 1998. The
crimes include the write-off of a three-million-kuna debt of "Hrvatski
dragovoljac", to which he was allegedly incited by Spajic.
Leaving the courtroom, Rojs told reporters he was glad that the trial
had started as he would "finally be able to prove his innocence in
court, after four years of political persecution".
Explaining his claim about his being a victim of political
persecution, Rojs said the father of the prosecutor whose exclusion he
requested "had taken part in the prosecution of Cardinal Stepinac".
Rojs said that he was proud of his actions, including the write-off of
the soccer club's debt, and added that his actions were in line with
his authorities and tasks he had been given by his superiors. He also
said that he would call "all former and incumbent government members"
to testify as witnesses at his trial.
The second indictee, Stjepan Spajic, denied having instigated anyone
to any acts. He repeated that he would not attend future hearings.
While in the courtroom, he told the judge in an agitated voice that
she would have to have him arrested if she wanted him to attend the
hearings.
Before the start of the trial, Spajic had an argument in the court
hall with a photographer who was trying to take a picture of him. He
later said in the courtroom he would have killed the photographer if
he had had a gun.
(Hina) rml sb