Klickovic et al: Knowledge and expertise

On the second day of his testimony, Richard Butler, court expert, invited by the State Prosecution, and former investigator of the Hague Tribunal, who testified at the trial for crimes in Bosanska Krupa, spoke about the responsibilities of brigade members and commanders, as defined by the regulations of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS.

“A commander is responsible if his subordinates fail to do something. He is responsible for prisoners, but other members of the unit share this responsibility to some extent,” Butler said, explaining the competencies of brigade commanders.

Gojko Klickovic, Jovan Ostojic and Mladen Drljaca are charged with crimes in Bosanska Krupa in the course of 1992. The indictment alleges that, from mid July to end December that year Ostojic was commander of the 11th Light Infantry Brigade from Krupa. The Prosecution considers him responsible for a number of crimes committed against Bosniaks.
 
Butler said that civilian authorities used to nominate professional staff in the brigades in 1992, adding that brigade commanders did “not have much influence” on it.
 
“Professional officers possessed more expertise than reserve officers. However, most VRS units lacked professional staff members,” Butler said.
 
This court expert indicated that subordinated brigade members were due to inform their brigade commander of any events, adding that the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina began on April 1, 1992.
 
“There were facts and circumstances in the field, which were not included in official reports, but they were well-known. Therefore a brigade commander could have known about them. On the basis of my research I determined that the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina began when members of the Yugoslav National Army, YNA, and paramilitary formations came to Bijeljina. This happened on April 1, 1992,” Butler explained.
 
A few Prosecution witnesses, who have testified so far, confirmed that Joja Plavanjac killed 11 men in “Petar Kocic” school building in Krupa in August 1992. They said that all soldiers must have known about this crime. The Defence is trying to prove that, due to the lack of professional staff in the 11th Brigade from Krupa, Ostojic was not informed about the happenings in the field.
 
The indictment alleges that Plavanjac killed 11 men, who belonged to the so-called “Joks” group in the first half of August 1992.
 
The examination of Butler began on Tuesday, December 9
 
The trial is due to continue on Wednesday, December 17.