Zivkovic and Tadic: Hiding of Statements

The Trial Chamber has postponed the examination of the two witnesses, who were due to testify in defence of indictee Zivkovic, because the State Prosecution, which examined these witnesses earlier, failed to submit their statements to the Defence. “We have found out that the witnesses, who are supposed to testify today, previously gave statements to the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but those statements have not been submitted to us. Besides that, the Defence has discovered that some other witnesses were examined as well, but their statements are being hidden from the Defence,” said Slavisa Prodanovic, Defence attorney of indictee Zivkovic.Prodanovic proposed that the witnesses, who were due to be examined at this hearing, be examined once the Prosecution had provided the Defence with their statements.The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Zivkovic, together with Dusko Tadic and Milun Kornjaca, with the persecution of Bosniaks from the Cajnice area and the murder of 11 civilians at Mostina on May 19, 1992.The indictment alleges that Zivkovic was Chief of the Public Safety Station in Cajnice and member of the Crisis Committee of Cajnice municipality, Tadic was member of “Plavi orlovi” (blue eagles) paramilitary unit and Kornjaca was commander of that unit.The trial of Kornjaca is conducted separately from the trial of Zivkovic and Tadic, but joint State Prosecution’s evidence was presented at the same hearings due to better efficiency of the proceedings. The case against Kornjaca was separated from the other case due to his health.The Defence of Tadic requested the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina to submit all witnesses’ statements that the Defence needed.“The Defence and Prosecution do not have equal status when it comes to evidence. The manner in which the Prosecutor behaves surprises me, because he is hiding evidence of the acquittal, although he is obliged to submit them to us,” said Milenko Vojo Radovic, Defence attorney of indictee Tadic.The Trial Chamber asked the Prosecution to submit the needed pieces of evidence to the Defence of the indictees.The trial is due to continue on April 16 this year. S.U.