Hakalovic’s Defence Completes Presentation of Evidence

Defence attorney Kadrija Kolic presented State Prosecution witnesses’ statements given during the investigation. The presented statements included those given by Milka Drljo. He said that the statements she gave during the investigation were contradictory to her testimony in the courtroom.

Testifying in 2011, witness Milka Drljo said that she “remembered that one of Zaim’s sons approached her Ivan and told me to go and bring Zdravko and Zeljko”.

She said that “Zaim’s son was blonde, pudgy and of mid-height” and pointed towards indictee Senad Hakalovic in the courtroom. During the course of her testimony the Defence presented a photograph of the indictee taken in 1995, saying that, looking at the photograph, it did not seem that its client was “pudgy and more blonde”.

“When I saw him in Trusina, he looked more blonde and pudgy to me,” Drljo said at that time.

Senad Hakalovic is charged with having ordered Ivan Drljo, known as Crni, whom he had known since childhood, to go to the village with two soldiers unknown to him and invite some local residents to come. After he had come back with them to Gaj hamlet, they were shot.

The Defence attorney presented documents, which, as he said, indicated that Sead Hakalovic, brother of indictee Senad, served in the Yugoslav National Army, JNA, with Ivan Drljo.

Presenting evidence about the examination of protected witness B during the investigation, Kolic said that he knew Senad Hakalovic, but he did not see him in Trusina.

By most pieces of evidence from the investigation, which he presented, the Defence attorney tried to prove that the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina conducted the investigation and identification of the suspects in an unlawful manner. On the other hand, Prosecutor Vesna Budimir said that only unlawful evidence existed.

Hakalovic, former member of the 45th Brigade of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH, is charged along with five former members of ‘Zulfikar” Unit of ABiH – Mensur Memic, Dzevad Salcin, Nedzad Hodzic and Zulfikar Alispago, known as Zuka, with crimes committed in Trusina on April 16, 1993.

According to the charges, 22 Croats were killed in an attack by ABiH on Trusina village.

During this hearing Alispago’s Defence attorney Ragib Hadzic commented on a statement given recently by protected witness D at a separate trial of Bojadzic, who is charged with crimes in Jablanica.

During her testimony she said that she was raped by a tall blonde man in Donja Jablanica in July 1993, adding that she heard some persons calling him Zuka.

According to her testimony, she saw that person again in March 1994, when Croats from “The Battle of Neretva” Museum in Jablanica were exchanged.

Defence attorney Hadzic said that evidence indicated that Alispago, also known as Zuka, left Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of 1993.

The trial is due to continue on December 2.