GARROD EXPRESSES REGRETS OVER RESULTS OF MOSTAR TRIAL

MOSTAR, March 25 (Hina) - The head of the Mostar office of the international high representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Martin Garrod, on Tuesday expressed regrets over the results of last week's trial of five Bosnian Croat police officers, of whom three received suspended jail sentences and two were acquitted. Garrod told a news conference that the indictments against the five officers from west Mostar focused on their overstepping of authority rather than on the facts about the events that had occurred in the town on February 10. The prosecutor did not use evidence such as photographs, Garrod said, adding that deputy to the high representative Michael Steiner had sent a letter to Bosnian Federation President Vladimir Soljic and his deputy Ejup Ganic, demanding new indictments in connection with the February 10 events. UNHCR spokeswoman Ariane Quentier said at the same news conference that local Croat and Moslem authorities in the central Bosnian town of Gornji Vakuf had agreed Monday on a procedure for the return of refugees. Quentier said that a similar agreement had been reached for the return of refugees to a Croat and a Moslem village in the Prozor area, central Bosnia. (hina) vm jn 251603 MET mar 97