Koricanske stijene: Convict Testifies as Defence Witness

Ljubisa Cetic, former member of the Interventions Squad with the Public Safety Station in Prijedor, said that indictee Sasa Zecevic was in one of the buses that transported men who had previously been separated from other convoy passengers travelling to Travnik in August 1992.

“Zecevic and I got on the second bus through the back door. Miroslav Paras and Darko Mrdja were in the first bus. The buses then left the convoy and moved. They stopped near a turn. All of us shot at the lined-up men,” witness Cetic said, adding that, as per Paras’ order, the men in the first bus were executed first. He said that he even heard bomb detonations coming from that direction.

Cetic was invited to testify in defence of indictees Radoslav Knezevic, Petar Civcic, Branko Topola and Marinko Ljepoja. In March last year, Cetic concluded a guilt admission agreement with the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Zecevic, Knezevic, Ljepoja, Civcic and Branko Topola with having participated in escorting a convoy of more than 1,000 civilians travelling from Prijedor to Travnik on August 21, 1992.  They allegedly separated and murdered about 200 men at Koricanske stijene.

The indictment alleges that Civcic was Commander of the First Section with the Interventions Squad of the Public Safety Station in Prijedor, Zecevic, Ljepoja and Knezevic were members of the Squad and Topola was a member of the Territorial Defence.

Darko Mrdja, former member of the Interventions Squad with the Special Police Unit from Prijedor, was sentenced before the Hague Tribunal to 17 years in prison for crimes committed at Koricanske stijene, while Paras, former Commander of the Squad, has since died.

Cetic said that the only indictee whom he saw escorting the convoy at the separation location was Ljepoja.

“I was looking for some people. I saw Ljepoja at the end of the convoy. He was standing in front of a bus, which he escorted, and smoking a cigarette. As I was leaving that part of the convoy, I heard that his bus had broken down and it would not go,” Cetic said, adding that he did not see the broken-down bus on his return.

Gordan Djuric, former member of the Interventions Squad, also testified at this hearing. In September 2009 Djuric pleaded guilty to participating in crimes committed at Koricanske stijene. He was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Djuric testified in defence of indictees Knezevic, Civcic and Ljepoja. He said that he saw his cousin Ljepoja at the location where the civilians were separated, adding that a broken-down bus was there as well. Djuric said he did not see indictee Ljepoja later on during the trip.

“Upon my return I saw the broken-down bus. I think I also saw him there,” Djuric said.

Rajko Basrak, another former member of the Interventions Squad, testified in defence of indictees Knezevic and Civcic at this hearing. He said that he and his colleague went to the convoy departure point, adding that Paras then ordered them to go back to the police station.

The three witnesses said that Paras had authority and nobody could oppose his orders.

The trial is due to continue on April 21 this year.

A.J.