RIJEKA, Aug 20 (Hina) - Croatia's Office for the Prevention of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) earlier this month filed an indictment against four Montenegrin citizens charged with customs evasion and illegal possession of arms
and explosive matter.
RIJEKA, Aug 20 (Hina) - Croatia's Office for the Prevention of
Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) earlier this month filed an
indictment against four Montenegrin citizens charged with customs
evasion and illegal possession of arms and explosive matter. #L#
The charges refer to 208 tonnes of gunpowder found on the ship Boka
Star when it docked in the northern Adriatic port of Rijeka last
October.
The indictment has been filed against the ship's owner, Marko
Balic, an employee with the Yugoslav company Jugoagent, Sasa
Kovalenko, the ship's commander, Josip Nikolic, and deck officer
Damir Balabusic, USKOK deputy head Marinka Orlic told Hina on the
telephone today.
All four are charged with illegal possession of arms and explosive
matter, while Balic and Kovalenko are also charged with forgery of
official documents.
Orlic said no detention was requested for the four, but the ship and
its cargo were seized.
Detention may be set and international arrest warrants issued if
the accused fail to appear in court in Rijeka, Orlic said. Warrants
were issued for Balic and Kovalenko during investigation.
The Boka Star, which sailed under Tonga's flag, arrived in Rijeka
from the Montenegrin port of Bar last October. Its final
destination was Alexandria.
Nikolic and Balabusic were arrested in late October and charged.
Under the amended Law on Criminal Procedure, they were released in
January and left for Montenegro.
In the course of the investigation, Nikolic said the ship's cargo
was sealed in Serbia and that papers confirmed the Yugoslav company
Jugoagent was exporting it to Syria.
(hina) ha