MINISTRY SAYS CROATIA HAS NO INFO ON FORMER CAMP COMMANDER

( Editorial: --> 5569 ) ZAGREB, April 8 (Hina) - The Croatian Justice Ministry announced on Wednesday that it "did not possess any information" on the alleged arrest of former Jasenovac camp commander Dinko Sakic in Argentina, nor had it received a written request by the Simon Wiesenthal Center supposedly seeking Croatia's demands for his extradition. The Ministry also emphasised that it had not been "officially informed by the appropriate authorities in the Republic of Argentina" on Sakic's alleged arrest. "The Ministry of Justice has not up to now received a letter from the Simon Wiesenthal Centre in which the Republic of Croatia is supposedly asked to submit demands for the extradition of Dinko Sakic," a Justice Ministry statement said. It added that all information the Ministry had received on the event up to now had "come exclusively from the foreign press". Croatian Ambassador to Argentina Neda Saric Rosandic told Hina that Sakic "is not located in the embassy nor has it had any contact with him". We have "not received any notice" on Sakic from the Argentinian side, Ambassador Saric Rosandic said emphasising that he was an "Argentinian citizen". The Embassy was carefully following the situation, she added. The Justice Ministry is in regular contact with the Croatian Embassy in Argentina and will in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry, after it receives official notification on the event, "continue to act in accordance with the law and international conventions" and inform the public of this, the Justice Ministry statement concluded. (Hina) mm mb /lm 081817 MET apr 98