ZADAR, Nov 7 (Hina) - The municipal court in the coastal town of Zadar on Tuesday cleared the prime suspect Zeljko Stipic, a Croatian army officer, and Joso Nekic, a former head of the local branch of the Service for the Protection of
the Constitutional Order (SZUP), Joso Nekic, of charges that they helped harbour a few Bosnian Croat war criminals (the so-called Ahmici Group). Judge Boris Babic explained the verdict saying that the charges against Stipic and Nekic were not proved during the trial before the Zadar court. It was not confirmed why the prime suspect Stipic was supposed to know about Vlado Cosic, one of the suspects of having committed war atrocities in the central Bosnian village of Ahmici in 1993. Taking into consideration that proceedings against the Ahmici war crimes suspects were instigated in September, and Stipic is believed to have harboured Cosic until June, the
ZADAR, Nov 7 (Hina) - The municipal court in the coastal town of
Zadar on Tuesday cleared the prime suspect Zeljko Stipic, a
Croatian army officer, and Joso Nekic, a former head of the local
branch of the Service for the Protection of the Constitutional
Order (SZUP), Joso Nekic, of charges that they helped harbour a few
Bosnian Croat war criminals (the so-called Ahmici Group).
Judge Boris Babic explained the verdict saying that the charges
against Stipic and Nekic were not proved during the trial before the
Zadar court.
It was not confirmed why the prime suspect Stipic was supposed to
know about Vlado Cosic, one of the suspects of having committed war
atrocities in the central Bosnian village of Ahmici in 1993. Taking
into consideration that proceedings against the Ahmici war crimes
suspects were instigated in September, and Stipic is believed to
have harboured Cosic until June, the acquittal is logical, judge
Babic asserted.
As regards the case of Nekic, it is correct that he erased the words
"Stipic and the Croatian Army" from operative reports by his
subordinates which according to the prosecution thwarted the
further course in the search after the Ahmici Group.
For the judge, it was within Nekic's competence as he was at the time
the head of SZUP's local office.
Those present in the court-room applauded the acquittal.
Early in September, Zadar police preferred charges against Nekic
and Stipic for assisting in harbouring of the Ahmici Group. Another
two Zadar residents - Jeronim Nekic and Goran Petric - were also
apprehended, but the state prosecution subsequently dismissed the
charges against them.
Joso Nekic spent 15 days in custody upon his arrest, while Zeljko
Stipic was detained for one and a half months. During an
investigation and trial, six witnesses, including the incumbent
SZUP head, Franjo Turek, were questioned.
(hina) ms