Not Known Whether Indictee Collected Money

Andrija Bjelosevic, former Chief of the Safety Services Centre, CSB, in Doboj, told the Court that, in late June or early July 1992 he came to the Police Station in Teslic, together with Milan Savic, Chief of the
Counter-Diversion Protection Group, adding that Savic then handed over the collected money.

“Milan Savic said that the money was collected for the purchase of radio stations for police and military police. Savic took 52,000 German Marks, as well as a certain amount of Schillings and Dinars, out of the bag and put the money on the table. Predrag Radulovic of the CSB Banja Luka and some
other men, who were with him, took the money. I do not know what they did with the money,” Bjelosevic said.

The witness said that he did not know whether a written or oral decision for the collection of money was issued or not.

The District Prosecution in Doboj charges Pijunovi with having participated in the torture, taking away, rape and unlawful detention of civilians in the period from May to July 1992. According to the charges, Miroslav Pijunovic, also known as Piko, was member of the “Mice-Red Berets” police formation with
the armed forces of Republika Srpska, RS.

According to the charges, Pijunovic confiscated “money for the Serbian Army” from non-Serb residents, threatening them with a gun.

Second Defence witness Tomo Mihajlovic, former reserve policeman from Teslic, who was sentenced, under a second instance verdict, to four years in prison for having abused civilians in Teslic, said that he requested the Court to allow Jozo Martinovic to testify in his defence at his trial in Zenica, but the Court refused the request.

“In turn, Jozo said he wanted me to confirm that Pijunovic broke his hand. I said that I was not present at that moment, but that his hand was in plaster when I saw him in Teslic. I did not ask him whether Pijunovic broke his hand or not,” Mihajlovic said.

The Trial Chamber accepted Prosecutor Izudin Berberovic’s proposal for a confrontation of Mihajlovic and Jozo Martinovic at the next hearing.

Defence witness Ilija Pavlovic told the Court that he was among the men, who arrested members of the “Mice” Unit, and that the indictee was not member of that unit, but police forces.

“I do not know whether the indictee participated in the collection of money in Teslic. I think that the money was collected from non-Serbs. I do not wish to comment on the way the money was collected, whether it was legal or not,” the witness said.

Pavlovic said that Piko was the nickname of several persons in Teslic.

“Janko Tomc complained to me, saying that Piko beat him up in his apartment. His last name is Savic,” Pavlovic said.

The Defence of the indictee announced that it would propose Janko Tomic as his next witness.

The trial is due to continue on May 23.