THREE MEN, SUSPECTED OF THREATENING CRO OFFICIAL, ARRESTED

VUKOVAR, Oct 29 (Hina) - Three men suspected of threatening and intimidating a senior Croatian state official have been arrested, the Transitional Police Force (TPF) in the UN-administered Croatian Danube region said on Wednesday. Vesna Skare-Ozbolt, the Croatian President's deputy chief-of- staff and the head of the national trust establishment committee, was threatened by a group of people in Vukovar on Tuesday. The incident occurred at about 11.30 am in downtown Vukovar when Skare-Ozbolt's car was intercepted by a dozen people in three cars intimidating and shouting insults at her and her associates. The three arrested men were brought to the Vukovar county court's investigating judge after charges had been pressed against them. Charges were also pressed against another seven participants in Tuesday's incident, who are still at large, the TPF said. The TPF criminal police, in cooperation with the TPF special police and the UNTAES civilian police, apprehended LJ.C. (25), S.V., B.J. (16) and B.J., between 06.00 and 07.00 pm Tuesday. The men did not offer resistance during the arrest. The B.J. (16) who is under age, was released, whereas the others were brought to the investigating judge in Vukovar who will decide whether the suspects should be held in custody. According to some information, the UN Transitional Administrator for the Danube area, William Walker, allowed that they could be kept in pre-trial detention in Osijek. TPF sources said that the other seven suspects would be arrested and taken to the investigating judge. UNTAES spokesman Philip Arnold told Hina on Wednesday that 15 people had been arrested on Tuesday evening, 11 of whom were released after it was established that they had not been involved in the incident. The instigator of the incident, Milenko Cancarevic - Canco, has not been arrested yet. (hina) mš 291403 MET oct 97