Planincic et al: Custody Extension Requested

State Prosecutor Mirko Lecic said that he considered that the Court should order one-month extension of custody for suspects Planincic, Lisancic and Menzil in order to enable the Prosecution to complete the investigation in this case.
 
The Prosecution pointed out that it stuck by all of the reasons mentioned in previous custody extension motions, while the Defence objected to the proposal, saying that it was enough to order prohibiting measures against the suspects.
 
“Over the course of the last month the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina has examined five more witnesses. We are asking the Court to extend custody for one more month in order to enable us to review some more pieces of material evidence,” Prosecutor Lecic explained.
 
The State Prosecution suspects that Planincic, Menzil and Lisancic, former members of the Territorial Defence in Kotor-Varos, participated in an attack on Serdari village, inhabited by local Serb residents, in Kotor-Varos municipality in September 1992.
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina considers that 16 local residents of Serdari village, including two children, were killed in that attack. It further alleges that many women and old people were among the victims. Several persons were wounded, while houses were set on fire and property pillaged.
 
The Defence of the suspects said that they thought that prohibiting measures, like the restriction of movement and home detention, would be sufficient in the case of the suspects.
 
“The Prosecution is conducting the investigation at a slow pace. This is not fair towards my client. (…) I consider that keeping these people under custody creates tensions and fear among the people who live in Serdari village,” said Adil Draganovic, Defence attorney of suspect Menzil.
 
Planincic, Lisancic and Menzil were arrested in May this year. They have been held in custody since.

S.U.