BOUTERSE DRUGS TRIAL STARTS IN THE HAGUE

THE HAGUE, March 22 (Reuters) - The trial of Surinam's former military
leader Desi Bouterse on drug trafficking charges began in the Netherlands
on Monday, in the absence of both Bouterse and his defence lawyer Bram
Moszkowicz.

Prosecutors charged Bouterse last month with masterminding five drug
smuggling operations into the Netherlands and Belgium between December 1989
and May 1991. On Monday, a sixth incident involving the alleged import of
447 kilos of cocaine in September 1997 was added to the list.

In total, the prosecution contends Bouterse was involved in the attempted
smuggling of nearly 1.8 tonnes of cocaine, seized at Dutch and Belgian
ports and airports between 1989 and 1997.

The Dutch issued an international arrest warrant for him in August 1997 on
drug trafficking and money laundering charges. He is also accused of
belonging to a criminal organisation.

Bouterse, 54, still lives in Surinam, where he is a special adviser to
President Jules Wijdenbosch and leader of Surinam coalition party the
National Democratic Party. He staged military coups in 1980 and 1990.

Although his name appears on Interpol's wanted list, the Netherlands has
not managed to secure his extradition.

The Surinam government has said the charges against Bouterse are
"politically motivated", while Bouterse has called them "baseless and
fabricated". He says the charges are part of a plot to get rid of him so
the Dutch can recolonise Surinam.

If found guilty, Bouterse would almost certainly be given a prison
sentence, but he would first have to be arrested in a country that has an
extradition agreement with the Netherlands.

The trial is provisionally set to last until April 2, and then to continue
from May 25 to July 2, court spokeswoman Liesbeth Horsting told Reuters.
She declined to say when a verdict was likely.

Bouterse's lawyer Moszkowicz has launched an appeal at the Supreme Court
against holding the trial in The Hague. His fellow-suspects have been tried
in Rotterdam, so should Bouterse, according to the defence.

In the absence of a Supreme Court ruling, Moszkowicz decided not to attend
Bouterse's trial on Monday. To date he has not applied for any defence
witnesses to take the stand either.

If the Supreme Court rules Bouterse should be tried in Rotterdam, this
might nullify any verdict reached by the Hague court.