The trial of a former commander of the Sibenik-Knin County Fire Service, Drazen Slavica, indicted for omissions in the organisation of putting out a wildfire on the island of Kornat on 30 August 2007, when 12 firemen were killed, began at the Zadar County Court on Tuesday.
After Sibenik County Prosecutor Zvonko Ivic read the indictment, Slavica said that with all due respect to his colleagues who died in the fire, he was not guilty.
The Chief State Attorney's Office indicted Slavica for a crime against public safety, because he sent two minors, a civilian conscript and firemen who had not completed helicopter training, to fight the fire on Kornat. Slavica is also indicted for being late with organising a rescue operation.
A total of 110 witnesses are scheduled to take the stand, so the trial is expected to last several months.
The next hearing is scheduled for 18 January.
