Vranjes et al: Murder of Husband

At a request by the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milka Grgic testified in a separate cabin. She said that her husband’s parents, who had come to the Netherlands, where she lived with her children, informed her about the murder of her husband Zdravko.

“My God, who could kill him? He was an exemplary citizen of Kotor Varos,” the witness asked herself, crying. She said that she did not know the indictees.

The State Prosecution charges Ljubisa Vranjes, former member of the Public Safety Centre in Banja Luka, and Mladen Milic, former member of “7551 Military Post in Banja Luka”, with having come to a house, where three civilians were held, on June 6, 1992 and ordered them to come with them for an examination. The civilians allegedly carried out the order.

The indictment further alleges that two prisoners were killed next to a monument erected in honour of the fallen soldiers of World War Two, while the third one was severely injured.

Grgic said that she supported the prosecution of the indictees if they were “indeed guilty” of her husband’s murder.
“I want this to be a message for the whole world, so such tragedies would never happen again,” Grgic said.

Following the examination of the last witness, the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina presented material evidence, including reports on examination of Vranjes and Milic during the course of an investigation conducted by the District Prosecution in Banja Luka.

The report related to Vranjes, which was read in the courtroom, says that Goran Markovic asked him, on June 6, 1992, to join him and take some people for examination. He said he got into a car, which was driven by indictee Milic. The two of them then headed towards the police station together. The report further says that, after the car had been parked in front of the police station, Markovic got out of the car and ordered the three civilians to move in front of him. He then shot at them.

“I was shocked, as I did not expect anything like that to happen. I told him that he was crazy and, if he had an intention to kill them, he should not have asked me to join him,” indictee Vranjes said during the course of the investigation.

The transcript of the statement given by indictee Milic to the Banja Luka Prosecution says that Markovic asked him to join him and Vranjes and transport three persons to the police station on June 6, 1992. He said that he agreed to do that.

It is further said that, after having brought Markovic and Vranjes to the police station, the two men told him that he was free to go. He said that he found out about the murder of the Grgic brothers one day later, but, as he said, he did not know who had done that.

The next hearing is due to be held on September 27, 2011.

M.B.