SUSPENDED SUPREME COURT PRESIDENT ISSUES STATEMENT

ZAGREB, 27 Nov (Hina) - The suspended President of the Croatian Supreme Court, Krunislav Olujic, on Wednesday issued a statement denying the legal validity of yesterday's decision by the State Judicial Council Disciplinary Tribunal on his suspension. Olujic stated that the decision was an 'entirely politically motivated one'. Yesterday's decision, by which he had been removed from the post of the Supreme Court President until the completion of a disciplinary procedure which was being conducted against him in the State Judicial Council, 'undoubtedly belongs to a group of decisions which are entirely politically motivated', Olujic said. According to Olujic, his statement could be confirmed, among other things, by the fact that the decision on his suspension had been reached by the Disciplinary Tribunal which had been set up with disregard for legal regulations and without a proposal by the authorised person. Olujic said he was convinced that 'the disciplinary procedure against the Supreme Court President would be conducted with all illegal means' and that it would be marked by 'inquisitorial characteristics'. The way the decision on the suspension had been publicized was 'accompanied by a factual description of disciplinary breaches which have an insufficiently established content', Olujic said, adding that 'methods of political pressure and rigged indictments' would be used during the procedure. 'I do not want to dodge any kind of personal responsibility and I am ready to expose my work and private life to the critical eye of the Croatian public, which will very soon have a chance to give its estimation of the latest events in Croatia's judiciary and (not only) around it', Olujic said in his statement. (hina) rm mm 271253 MET nov 96