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Prosecutor Predrag Tomic told witness Dragomir Topalovic, former driver with the Sixth Battalion of Zvornik Brigade with the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, that previous witnesses said that drivers were present when the captives were brought.
“Honourable Court, I was not present there at all. I had family problems. If necessary, I will find witnesses to confirm that,” Topalovic said.
Stanisic and Milosevic are charged with having participated in crimes on a dam in Petkovci, near Zvornik, where about 1,000 previously captured Bosniak men and boys from Srebrenica were executed in mid-July 1995.
According to the charges, Stanisic was Commander of the Sixth Battalion and Milosevic was his Deputy.
An absence permit indicates that the witness was not present in the Battalion from July 9 to 13. However, he claimed to have been absent until July 18 or 19.
The Battalion attendance records indicate that he was present as of July 13. The witness said that, in his case, the records were not correct and that the entry was made for the sake of paying a salary to him.
Prosecutor Tomic presented the witness with a travel sheet for a small truck, which was used for transportation from Petkovci to the dam and back on July 15. The vehicle transported nine persons.
The witness said that the travel sheet did not contain his signature and that he did not know “why they went to the dam”.
A travel sheet for another small truck indicates that the truck was used on the route between Petkovci and Srebrenica and on the route from Petkovci – the dam – Petkovci six times on July 15. The witness repeated that it was not his signature and that he did not know why “the route was taken six times”. The travel sheet indicates that the small truck was used on those routes at the same time, which the witness found illogical.
He said that it was possible that drivers added some routes in order to “justify the consumption of fuel”, which they did sometimes.
According to the charges, after having been brought to Petkovic, the captives were held in the school building and then transported to the dam, where they were shot.
During the investigation the witness told a State Investigation and Protection Agency, SIPA, investigator that, upon his arrival to the Battalion approximately on July 20, he told Stanisic: “I do not want to participate in that”, also telling him that he fainted when he saw blood and that he did not want to be involved “in that”. He then said, during the investigation, that he was not sure whether he spoke to Stanisic or not.
“The man, who examined me, instigated me to say that,” Topalovic said at the trial, adding that he did not know to whom he said that.
When asked by the Prosecutor to explain what he meant by saying that he “did not want to participate in that”, the witness said that some Serb soldiers got killed and wounded during the breakthrough by Srebrenica residents, so they had to be evacuated.
“I was referring to the frontlines, combat,” he said.
The trial is due to continue on Wednesday, November 6.
