Arms Trader To Testify At The End Of June

Josef Rothaichner, who allegedly handed over the bag containing jewels to Zagorec should be questioned on June 29.

Investigating judge Erna Drazancic today forwarded Rothaichner a summoning to the German address stated in the file, said the Court`s spokesperson and Investigation Department chief, Kresimir Devcic.

Foreign citizens are questioned in the same manner as citizens of Croatia, except if they do not speak the language, the court must ensure an interpreter. 

According to Snjezana Siprak and Hrvoje Petrac`s statements, disclosed at the repeated trial for the kidnapping of Zagorec`s son, Rothaichner handed over a bag containing jewels to the then defence minister assistant in 1993, as a guarantee for five million US dollars taken from the Croatian Ministry of Defence, intended for the purchase of weapons in order to defend Croatia.

But, Zagorec repeated on more occasions that these claims were untrue and dismissed the accusations stating he took the disputable jewels with him upon leaving his duties at the ministry.

Apart from Rothaichner, the investigative judge is supposed to examine Zagorec`s former business partner Josip Ferek, who was excused yesterday due to illness. But, it is still not determined on which date will be questioned the witness that Zagorec could have influenced, according to the judge, because of which custody was awarded to him, among other things.

There is a possibility that the prosecution, and perhaps the defence as well, will request new evidence proposals subsequently.

Investigation against Vladimir Zagorec, suspected of misuse of position and authorities, was commenced on March 9, and based on an international APB, he was arrested in Vienna four days later, where he has been living for the past seven years. He was released from custody after placing one million euro of bail.

Justice Ministry forwarded a request to the Austrian authorities on March 21 for his extradition, and the former defence minister assistant, who was in charge of armament and equipment supply from 1993 until 2000, opposes the extradition.