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Jankovic, who has been defending himself while at liberty under certain prohibiting measures since November last year, failed to attend the pronouncement of the verdict today. The Public Relations Office of the State Court says that “the Court now officially considers him to be on the run”.
“According to the latest available information, Jankovic was at home yesterday. He was under prohibiting measures and the Prijedor police visited him yesterday. His wife said earlier today that he had left home at 3.30 a.m. and went to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the State Court says.
The verdict for Koricanske stijene crimes was pronounced at a hearing held before the State Court on December 21 this year, but Jankovic failed to appear in court. His Defence attorney Ranko Dakic told the Trial Chamber he been told that “the car broke down”.
The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina says that, prior to the pronouncement of the verdict, it informed the border crossings and police stations in Prijedor that Jankovic had failed to appear in the courtroom.
In addition, right after the hearing the Court informed the State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, and issued the arrest warrant to the Agency.
Jankovic, former Commander of the Public Safety Station in Prijedor, was sentenced under the first instance verdict to 27 years’ imprisonment for having ordered members of the Interventions Squad with the Public Safety Station to separate a group of more than 150 men from a convoy of non-Serbs who were leaving Prijedor on August 21, 1992 and kill the men.
Zoran Babic, Milorad Skrbic and Zeljko Stojnic, former members of the Interventions Squad with the Public Safety Station, were pronounced guilty of having participated in that crime, while Milorad
Radakovic was acquitted of all charges.
Jankovic was held in custody from May 2008 to November last year, when he was released under certain prohibiting measures, including a ban on contacting witnesses and accomplices and attending public events.
Following the pronouncement of the first instance verdict, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina ordered nine-month custody for Jankovic.
D.Dz.
