Vukovic and Tomic: Party with Vojvoda

12. August 2009.12:56
A witness for the Defence of Radomir Vukovic says he did not see members of the Second Special Police Squad in Sandici in July 1995. Milutin Kandic, a former member of the Special Police Unit (PJP) from Milici and a Defence witness for Radomir Vukovic, said that in July 1995, without stating the date, he was stationed with his unit in Potocari, where they "saw UNPROFOR and a large group of women and children", but where, he said, he did not see members of the Second Special Police Squad.

This post is also available in: Bosnian

Vukovic is charged together with Zoran Tomic with taking part in capturing a large grouop of Bosniak men on July 13, 1995 in Sandici. The indictment alleges that the two former members of the Second Special Police Squad from Sekovici took part in shooting more than 1,000 men in Kravica Agricultural Cooperative, in Bratunac Municipality.

“After about 30 to 45 minutes we were transferred to the police station in Bratunac, where I spent the night. In the morning I was told there were injured people from the unit and that I should take the car to Sandici. I drove several wounded to the hospital and returned to Sandici,” Kandic said.

He said that during his stay in Sandici he was on the terrace of a house and watched “smaller groups of men” exiting the woods and surrendering.

“They were between 15 and 60; they had no rifles, mostly in civilian clothes. We did not have any information. Our job was to secure the road. Groups surrendered to the army and they just passed in front of members of my unit,” the witness said.

Asked by the Defence if he saw the defendant Vukovic, also known as Vojvoda, Kandic said that after the fall of Srebrenica he “visited a party with Vojvoda” and after that “saw him seldom”.

During cross examination by the Prosecution, the witness clarified that the men from the woods crossed the road where they left their things because this was “ordered by the army”, and went to the field nearby.

“My colleagues from the unit had no contact with the people who surrendered,” he said, adding that there were about a hundred people in the field at the end of the day.

“There were children there – one girl with her father. That was a shock for me. In the meantime busses passed with women and children and I stopped one of them. The girl entered it, and two or three 15-year old boys ran in after her,” said Kandic, adding that he “solemnly claims” that explosions and shots were not heard in the Sandici area.

The trial is due to continue on August 13, when the Defence of the second accused will hear testimonies of two witnesses.

This post is also available in: Bosnian