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Speaking about the rules, the expert witness in military issues said that common soldiers, like Hakalovic, “are not included in the management and commandership system”, so he could not have issued orders.
“Nobody mentioned in any documents or statements that he issued orders to anybody,” the expert witness said on the basis of documents provided by Hakalovic’s Defence attorney.
Dzambasovic explained that Hakalovic, former member of the 45th Brigade of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, did not have any competences that would indicate that he could issue orders to anybody and that no soldiers were subordinate to him.
“A soldier is not in a position to make decisions of any time and in any way,” he said.
The indictment charges Hakalovic with having been present in Trusina on April 16, 1993, when crimes were committed in that village, and that he ordered Ivan Drljo, whom he had known since childhood, to go with two soldiers unknown to him and bring some Croat persons, who were later shot.
Hakalovic is on trial, along with Mensur Memic, Dzevad Salcin, Nedzad Hodzic, Nihad Bojadzic and Zulfikar Alispago, former members of the “Zulfikar” Unit, for having conducted an attack on Trusina, when 18 civilians and four captured members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, were killed.
Protected witness O3-1, who has known Hakalovic since childhood, said, testifying at this hearing, that he continued socialising with Hakalovic after the war. He said that he found out about the crime in Trusina on the day when it was committed, but he did not hear anyone mention Hakalovic as one of the participants.
The examination of expert witness Dzambasovic is due to continue on Monday, September 30.
