Croatia's 2007 End Use Monitoring Report

UNCLAS ZAGREB 000047 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SCE, INL JUSTICE FOR ICITAP/MHANSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCRM AFIN SNAR HR SUBJECT: Croatia's 2007 End Use Monitoring Report REF: State 163708 ¶1. As per reftel, Post is pleased to provide INL with its End Use Monitoring Report. INL programs in-country during the year include the ICITAP program and Post's War Crimes Project. ¶A. PROCEDURES For provision of equipment ICITAP and the GOC's Ministry of Interior jointly sign a donation letter which includes detailed equipment information and the general purpose of the project. As of 2007, all equipment donations are bar coded. Following donation, an ICITAP employee conducts an annual physical inspection to ensure the condition and use of the equipment. For Post's War Crimes Project, Post and each court president jointly signed grant agreement letters which included detailed equipment information and intended use. For end use monitoring, a Post employee conducts either a physical inspection or phone call to ensure the condition and use of the equipment. Post is pleased to report that these procedures are effective and efficient, and that the GOC fully cooperates with equipment checks. ¶B. STATUS ICITAP-provided commodities are currently employed in police headquarters, police stations around the country, the Police Academy, and the State Prosecutor's office. All are using the equipment as intended. Computers: Computer maintenance is adequate, although Post notes that some computers, which were donated in 2002, are quite outdated. Nevertheless, they are able to satisfy the basic performance needs of police. Laptops, digital cameras are being used as intended. The FRED computer forensics system is being utilized. Communications equipment: cell phones ("throw phones") are being used as intended by police. Post-provided video link equipment provided to the Ministry of Justice and to four courts is being utilized as intended. To date, equipment is being or has been used in cases in Osijek, Zagreb, Split, and Vukovar courts. Rijeka has not yet employed the equipment for cases. Equipment donated to the Judicial Academy at the Ministry of Justice was stolen in November 2007 while on loan in Split during a narcotics-related case. Police are investigating. Vehicles: State prosecutors are using the donated vehicle as intended. Vessels/Aircraft/Canine Program/Lab equipment/Construction/Defense Articles: N/A Uniforms and Field Gear: Police using goggles and night vision equipment as intended. Miscellaneous Equipment: Police using FATS equipment as intended. Occasional repairs have been needed, which the GOC has funded. Endoscopes and VSC4 passport document readers have been utilized properly. ICITAP reports that other office equipment provided to headquarters is being utilized. ¶C. PROBLEMS No problems have been reported. ¶D. IMPACT Post has observed that the donations contributed to the overall efficiency and modernization of the Croatian police administration. Training and development at the Police Academy has visibly improved; training at the language lab remains limited but active; and internet resources are now available at the Academy. The ICITAP-provided document reader has resulted in the apprehension of at least one Interpol-wanted individual. Throw phones were employed in a hostage situation this year. Video-link equipment has been used in court cases to protect the identities of witnesses in war crimes cases. ¶E. PROGRAM CHANGES. As agreed between Croatia-based ICITAP staff and Post, all future donations will be directly targeted to strengthen Croatia's fight against organized crime and corruption. Equipment requests from the Ministry of Interior must demonstrate a direct impact on these programs and be vetted both by ICITAP and by Post. As the ICITAP program and its donations wind down in Croatia, Post believes that more targeted donations will focus the program's impact and will bring it to a successful conclusion in the next year or two. BRADTKE