Indictee Denies Having Ordered Murders

Responding to State Prosecutor Dzevad Muratbegovic’s questions, Kornjaca said that the unit, which was under his command, was just a squad at the beginning and that it later grew into a formation unit. The unit was called the Seventh Infantry Company of Cajnice municipality. “A mobilisation call was sent to my unit. I was declared the Squad Commander. The decision was communicated to me,” Kornjaca said, adding that he requested the Territorial Defence to provide him with arms and uniform immediately. The indictee was not able to confirm whether he received orders from the Crisis Committee, but he pointed out that he had never acted arbitrarily. “Milun Kornjaca never made any decisions independently. He never ordered anybody’s murder or rape,” he said. Kornjaca is charged with having participated in the murder of 28 civilians, who were detained in the hunters’ house, by shooting from an automatic rifle and throwing hand bombs following the murder of a member of “Plavi orlovi” (“Blue Eagles”) paramilitary unit on May 19, 1992 or approximately on that date. The former Commander of “Plavi orlovi” paramilitary unit is on trial for having persecuted Bosniaks from the Cajnice area. When asked by the Trial Chamber how he was appointed the Commander, considering the fact that he was just an ordinary soldier without any ranks while serving the Yugoslav National Army, JNA, the indictee said that he was a reliable person. “I cannot answer your question, but I was very disciplined and reliable,” he said. The indictee said that, when the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, had been formed, his unit joined it, adding that “at the end of the war I had the rank of a sub-lieutenant”. At the end of the hearing the Trial Chamber said that the Defence proposed that four witnesses be examined during the presentation of its evidence. The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina did not object to the Defence’s request. The trial is due to continue on May 8, when the first two Defence witnesses will be examined.