Memic et al: Indictees ‘Did Not Participate’ in Attack

“Senad’s brother Sead Hakalovic participated in the operation. I do not remember Senad participating in the operation. Also, two brothers would normally not participate in the same operation. (…)

“I did not know Bojadzic when Trusina was attacked. I met him later on. Had I seen him in Trusina, I would have remembered it. I did not see him anywhere. I did not hear anyone mention that he was there,” Gagula said during the course of cross-examination.

Gagula began his testimony on February 7 this year. At this hearing he said that after having given a statement to State Prosecutor Vesna Budimir in November 2009, he explained to her, in an informal conversation, why Senad Hakalovic had not participated in the operation, but the explanation was not “included” in the records.

The State Prosecution charges Senad Hakalovic, Nihad Bojadzic, Mensur Memic, Dzevad Salcin, Nedzad Hodzic and Zulfikar Alispago with having participated in an attack on Trusina village on April 16, 1993, when 18 civilians and four members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO were killed.

The Prosecution alleges that at that time Alispago was Commander of the Zulfikar Special Purposes Squad with the Main Command Headquarters of ABiH. He is charged with having failed to punish his subordinates who participated in the murders. Bojadzic, Alispago’s deputy, is charged with having commanded the attack.

According to the charges, Memic, Salcin and Hodzic were members of the Zulfikar Special Squad and Senad Hakalovic was a member of the Neretvica 45th Mountain Brigade.

Gagula said that he was “a guide” for members of the Zulfikar Special Squad in April 1993, adding that they attacked Trusina village with the aim of “moving the lines held by the Croatian Defence Council, HVO”.

“Zuka’s unit came the night before the attack, but I did not know any of them. We headed towards Trusina on the following day. I was in the group which attacked the Kriz point, located above the village.

“There were about fifteen people in the group. Half of them were Zuka’s men, while the other half were members of the 45th Brigade. While we were in the field, we received orders from Seid Padalovic. I do not know who gave orders to members of Zuka’s unit,” the witness said, adding that Padalovic was killed later on.

The witness said that ABiH forces attacked Trusina from “three directions”, but his group was not able to occupy the Kriz area “because of the fire opened by HVO units”. He said that he and his group members went down to the village, where they saw other ABiH members.

Gagula told the Court that he then went around the village and saw two dead Croat civilians in front of a house.

The trial is due to continue on February 18 this year.