WA: Alleged Nazi war criminal waits in custody

AAP General News (Australia)
08-20-2008
WA: Alleged Nazi war criminal waits in custody

By Jo Prichard

PERTH, Aug 19 AAP - An 86-year-old accused Nazi war criminal is in custody in Perth
awaiting a possible court appeal ahead of a federal government decision on his extradition
to Hungary.

Charles Zentai denies he murdered an 18-year-old Jewish man, who with two other soldiers
was assaulted and killed in Budapest in 1944, for not wearing the yellow star that marked
him as a Jew.

Magistrate Barbara Lane today found Zentai's case meets the terms and conditions of
the Extradition Act and said he was eligible to be surrendered to Hungary for trial.

Outside Perth Magistrates Court, one of Zentai's sons, Gabriel Steiner, said the decision
would have a big impact on his father, who is in ill health.

"Huge, huge, he can't feel his legs, he's got a bad heart, he's been in and out of
hospital (with a) heart attack just two weeks ago, he has to carry his spray in his pocket
just to spray under his tongue," Mr Steiner told reporters.

"So this could kill him to be dragged away from his family and friends and his home.

"This is home, he made a commitment to become an Australian citizen 50 years ago and
I think Australia needs to make some commitment to him as a citizen as well."

Ms Lane was told this week that Zentai was serving in the Royal Hungarian Army with
the purpose of catching Jewish people in hiding.

She said the arrest warrant stated Zentai had beaten teenager Peter Balazs "so badly
that he died from his injuries late that evening".

Mr Steiner said his father was not in Budapest on November 4, 1944 but more than 100km
away getting engaged to his girlfriend.

He said his father has been set up as a scapegoat by former army colleagues of his
who fear for their lives.

Zentai was remanded in custody and was understood to be detained in a Perth jail ahead
of a possible court hearing later today.

His lawyers have said they will apply for an appeal to be heard in the Federal Court
as part of a special bail application for Zentai.

A WA government spokeswoman said Zentai could be held at two possible locations if
his bail application was refused by the Federal Court.

He could either be sent to Perth's Hakea remand centre or, because for age and health
reasons, to the infirmary at the maximum security Casuarina prison.

AAP jp/was/cjh/was/bwl

KEYWORD: ZENTAI SECOND LEAD

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