Local Justice: Alibi for Indictee

Frankovic, former foreman with a unit of the Croat Defence Council, HVO, told the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo that he was deployed to the “Greda” locality together with indictee Curkic and other members of his unit in October 1993, adding they heard shooting and saw smoke coming from Stupni Do village.

“We were on the hill when we heard shooting and saw smoke. When some people brought us food in the afternoon they told us what had happened in the village,” Frankovic said.

The indictment, filed by the Cantonal Prosecution in Sarajevo, charges Curtic, as a former HVO member, with having been present in Stupni Do village on October 23, 1993, when Bosniak civilians were killed and the village set on fire.

Answering questions posed by Defence attorney Nedim Dobojlic, Frankovic said that Curtic was a member of his unit, adding that all unit members were at the “Greda” locality on that day.

“We received an order to be fully ready and not to leave our positions. I know that Curtic was at that locality,” Frankovic said.

He said the flight distance between them and Stupni Do village was about one kilometer, but they would have had to walk for approximately two hours in order to get to the village.

Safet Hrapo, Prosecutor with the Sarajevo Cantonal Prosecution, asked the witness if he could remember who was in the same trench as Curtic on that day. The witness responded by saying that a person named Mijo Miocevic was in the same trench with the indictee.

The trial is due to continue on October 28.

A.S.