Australian Judge Orders Inquiry into the Croatian Six Bombing Plot

Facts

• A Supreme Court judge in Melbourne, Australia has ordered an inquiry into the evidence used to convict six former Yugoslav migrants for their involvement in a multi-site bombing plot in 1981.¹
• Maksimilian Bebic, Mile Nekic, Vjekoslav Brajkovic, Anton Zvirotic, and brothers Ilija and Joseph Kokotovic, referred to collectively as the Croatian Six, were convicted in February 1981 of conspiracy to bomb several locations and critical infrastructure in Sydney.²
• The testimony of a key Crown witness, Vico Virkez, and a suspected compromised New South Wales officer have been called into question as well as the actions of the investigating officers.²
• The jury deliberated for around three days before handing down the convictions and a 15-year prison sentence for which each man served 10 years before being released.³
• The six men claimed that they were being framed for the conspiracy using falsified evidence and confession statements. The former detective charged with leading the investigation, Roger Rogerson, was later sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in a murder, and Virkez was suspected of conspiring with Yugoslavian security agents.⁴
• While the men were released from incarceration in 1991, several have attempted to clear their names through legal appeals and requests for evidence reviews. Supreme Court Judge Robertson Wright upon review agreed that there are “doubts or questions as to parts of the evidence…and the guilt of the Croatian Six.”¹

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²Guardian, ³The sydney morning herald and ⁴The australian.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Archive. Almost 40 years later, research and an investigation into the alleged damning evidence has shown that the Croatian Six were in fact wrongfully convicted. The scheme was devised to pain the Croatian-Australian community as less-than-moral villains and criminals with no regard for life or property. Regardless of the amount of time that has passed and the release of the six men, they still deserve to have their names cleared from such heinous and false accusations.
• Narrative B, as provided by The australian. After judicious review, it's true that doubt has been cast on the convictions of the Croatian Six. Nevertheless, the evidence at the time pointed to their guilt, and Australia is now taking the matter seriously by furthering the review. Should the inquiry reveal a miscarriage of justice, the cases will duly be referred to the Court of Criminal Appeal for a full exoneration of the accused.