JURICA: TRIAL CONDUCTED AGAINST INDIVIDUALS AND NOT FOUNDATION

( Editorial: --> 3841 ) ZAGREB, Nov 26 (Hina) - The trial of the executive director, business director and accountant of the Open Society Croatia Foundation concerned only criminal offences in the financial operation of the foundation and was not politically motivated, the head of the Croatian Government's Communications Office, Neven Jurica, said on Wednesday. Jurica's statement followed domestic and foreign media reports and official statements, including that by a US State Department spokesman. Asked to comment on allegations that the trial was politically motivated or that it was an attempt to obstruct the foundation's work, Jurica told Hina that it was "an almost routine court procedure against the executive director, business director and accountant of the Open Society Croatia Foundation, but not against the foundation as it is insinuated". The three were charged with keeping a dual set of accounting records, one formal and the other secret, with the intent of reporting only one third of the overall income of staff which is liable to taxation, evading tax payments of more than 2.5 million kuna. "This is exclusively a court matter and it doesn't have any political background, so I don't see why the Croatian government is being called upon to interefere in the court proceedings," Jurica said, adding that the trial had been conducted fully in accordance with law. The executive director and the accountant received suspended sentences at a court of first instance, while charges were dropped against the business director. Jurica resolutely rejected insinuations of any political motivation, saying that "it is evident that it is a case of intended financial fraud." "It is surprising that political motivation is insinuated in this court case, while it is only a matter of financial interest and tax evasion," Jurica said. (hina) vm jn 261651 MET nov 97