Kovac: Hearings Interrupted by Illness

Due to the absence of indictee Ante Kovac and his defence attorney, Dusko Tomic, proceedings at the trial for crimes committed in Vitez in 1993 have been suspended.

Trial Chamber Chairman Saban Maksumic said the Chamber had been informed that Kovac and Tomic were ill and because of this the legal requirements for continuing with the proceedings had not been met.

Since findings and opinions concerning the indictee’s capacity to follow and attend the trial were due to be presented at this hearing, Maksumic admitted the information provided by court experts Marija Kaucic-Komsic and Radojka Golijan.

“We visited indictee Kovac in the Detention Unit. On the basis of medical reports, which are incomplete, we can determine that Kovac’s capacity to follow and attend the trial is limited,” Kaucic-Komsic said, adding that this information would be incorporated in her findings and opinion, which are to be submitted at the next hearing.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Ante Kovac, as Commander of the Military Police Squad with the Vitez Brigade of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, with participating in the capture and detention of Bosniaks in various buildings in Vitez Municipality and with having raped two women.

Kaucic-Komsic explained that she needed three more reports prior to finalizing her findings and opinion concerning Ante Kovac’s capacity to attend the trial. However, she said that, on the basis of available documents, it was likely that he could attend the trial, “but the Court had to take into consideration his perseverance”.

Defence attorney Dusko Tomic submitted to the Trial Chamber a medical report issued by a Polyclinic in Bijeljina, advising him to “stay in bed for the next seven days” due to pains in his chest.

The trial is due to continue on May 5.