AUCTION OF UNTAES EQUIPMENT COMPLETED

( Editorial: --> 6466 ) OSIJEK, May 25 (Hina) - Last week's auction of UNTAES equipment at Klisa airport near Osijek was correct and fair, the spokesman for the UN civil police support group Douglas Coffman told Hina on Monday. The auction raised US$1,625,000, Coffman said. Apart from the UNTAES car park, there were many other items on auction. Several hundred companies from Croatia and the world participated in the auction. However, representatives of 11 companies from Slovenia, Croatia, Yugoslavia and Russia requested that the UN auction be abolished and a new one carried out, stressing irregularities in the auction of cars and equipment. Rejecting those accusations, Coffman said that 57 per cent of the UN's equipment was bought by Croatian companies. He reminded that the auction was also overseen by Croatian customs officers. (hina) mrb/rm 251818 MET may 98