Croatia sets cash reward to find fugitive general

Croatia offered a reward of 350,000 Croatian kunas ($53,430) today for information on the whereabouts of fugitive general Ante…

Croatia offered a reward of 350,000 Croatian kunas ($53,430) today for information on the whereabouts of fugitive general Ante Gotovina, indicted by the United Nations war crimes tribunal almost two years ago.

Interior Minister Mr Sime Lucin came up with the reward after searches failed to track down Gotovina, regarded by many in Croatia as a hero of the 1991-95 war of independence against Yugoslavia, state news agency Hina reported.

In a move aimed at reassuring the tribunal's chief prosecutor, Ms Carla del Ponte, of Zagreb's determination to find Gotovina, the Interior Ministry gave two telephone numbers which people could ring if they had sightings or information on the whereabouts of the general, Mr Hina said.

Co-operation with the tribunal is among key requirements Zagreb needs to meet to speed up its bid for full membership of the European Union.

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Gotovina was indicted in July 2001 for failing to prevent killings of Serb civilians and looting of their property during and after a Croatian army offensive which recaptured rebel territory in five days in August 1995.

He went into hiding immediately after the indictment was made public.

Ms Del Ponte has several times accused Zagreb of failing to act on tip-offs about Gotovina's movements, although Croatia says all the leads were wrong or came too late.