Secret Trial On Charges Of Spying On American Forces

Northern Advocate, 18 February 1949, Page 5

Secret Trial On Charges Of Spying On American Forces

BERLIN, Thu. (11.30 a.m.). —Frontsek Klecka, 31-year-old waiter on the Orient Express, was sentenced to 20 years’ hard labour after a trial held in strict secrecy by a United States military court in Munich today. He is the first of about 20 people to be tried on charges of spying on United States forces in Europe for Czechoslovakia. The court refused to reveal his nationality. The names and nationality of the other defendants have not befcn announced.

Following an announcement this week by Brigadier General John McKee, chairman of the military commission which is conducting the trials that tne cases were so secret that the court would not make public the evi- ; dence or names of the defendants or verdicts, in case United States security was violated, General Clay order-! ed an investigation into the necessity for this. General Clay was anxious to lift the secrecy ban because it provided countries hostile to the United States with an excellent propaganda medium, but after investigation it was decided that publication of proceedings would result in “information detrimental to the security of the Allied Forces” being made public. I However, the commission has been ordered to reveal the names of the defendants and to announce the verdiets when the trial is finished. | The evidence, however, will continue to be heard in secrecy. OFFENCES NOT REVEALED It is officially announced that Klecka was charged under a military government ordinance with “acts prejudicial to the occupation forces”—which, it was said, “could embrace espion- ’ age.” j Specific offences he was alleged to have committed were not revealed. | The second of the cases against the alleged members of the spy ring opens j on Monday with two Poles and a German as defendants. ! The third trial will be against the only woman in the case, Elfriede Zierlik. The charges have not yet been preferred against the 15 other defend- ; ants.