Vrdoljak: Physician’s statement
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Defence witness Cazim Kraljusic, general surgery specialist, said Ivica Vrdoljak received medical assistance in a hospital in Derventa in June 1992.
The physician confirmed this statement, after having reviewed the copies of the protocol, indicating that Vrdoljak was admitted into hospital on June 10, 1992.
The State Prosecution charges Vrdoljak with war crimes against civilians in Derventa and Bosanski Brod municipalities. The indictment alleges that Ivica “Geza” Vrdoljak, as member of the 103rd Derventa Brigade of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, “took detainees out of the detention camps in Polje, Derventa municipality, and Tulek settlement in Bosanski Brod and participated in the beating of those detainees” from late June to late July 1992.
“Vrdoljak had an injury caused by an explosion, of his right shoulder and upper arm. He received medical assistance in the hospital but he did not stay there afterwards,” Kraljusic said, reading a register of patients and explaining that “it might be that a secondary stitch had been made in the hospital later on.”
Testifying as Defence witness, indictee Vrdoljak said that, after the wounding on June 10, 1992, he stayed in hospital “for not more than seven days.” He then left for Croatia, where he stayed until the end of August, and then returned to Bosnia.
Cazim Kraljusic confirmed that, in 1996 he signed a certificate confirming that Vrdoljak had been wounded. He needed the certificate “in order to fulfill his right to a pension”.
During cross-examination conducted by Prosecutor Mirsad Strika, the witness explained that the mentioned certificate was issued on the basis of the register of wounded soldiers, which was regularly submitted by the hospital in Derventa to the Staffs of the 103rd HVO Brigade.
Asked by Trial Chamber Chairwoman Minka Kreho to explain how long the indictee’s injuries need to be treated normally, the witness said that, “ideally, the treatment lasts for more than 20 days.”
Indictee Vrdoljak said earlier that, from June 17, 1992 to the end of August he had regular medical examinations in the Republic of Croatia.
Witness Kraljusic, a former member of the 103rd HVO Derventa Brigade, said that he “saw the indictee at the battlefield in Domaljevac,” adding that HVO members could leave their place of residence only after having obtained a permission to do so and any long absence should have been registered.
In the course of his testimony, indictee Vrdoljak said that his commander gave him permission to cross the bridge in Bosanski Brod and enter Croatia. However, the document does not indicate when he was supposed to return. Vrdoljak said that he was not sure whether his absence was registered in the Brigade’s books.
The trial of Ivica Vrdoljak is due to continue on June 10, 2008.
