LONDON, August 19. (TANJUG). Prosecutors of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) will be investigated over claims they bullied witnesses, writes UK daily the Guardian, noting that the investigation will include former ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte.

According to the paper, whose writing was reported by the BBC, Del Ponte is to be investigated over claims she allowed the use of bullying and bribing of wi

tnesses, or tainted evidence.

On Wednesday, ICTY judges ordered an independent inquiry into the practices of Del Ponte and two prominent serving prosecutors, after complaints from witnesses that they had been harassed, paid, mistreated and their evidence tampered with.

It is the first time in the tribunal's 17 years in operation that top prosecutors have faced potential contempt of court rulings, writes the Guardian.

The allegations against Del Ponte concern the working practices of her team of investigators in the ongoing prosecution for war crimes of the Serbian politician, Vojislav Seselj, writes the daily.

The London daily also writes that an independent investigator, expected to be a French magistrate, is to report on the allegations within six months.

Prosecutors in The Hague rejected the allegations while promising to cooperate with the inquiry.