Custody for Vujovic and Duka Requested
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The Defence teams objected to the motion, proposing prohibiting measures instead.
“A number of witnesses have been examined. One person was killed. Most of them experienced various types of torture, so they are very much traumatised. Any influence on them might cause them to change their statements after the indictment has been filed and confirmed,” Prosecutor Behaija Krnjic said.
He said that an investigation against some other persons was conducted in this case as well.
Krnjic mentioned that releasing suspects, who are under an investigation due to a very grave crime, might disturb public order and upset citizens.
Vujovic and Duka are suspected of having participated in the persecution of non-Serb population in Bileca municipality from June to December 1992. Suspect Goran Vujovic was Chief of the Public Safety Station in Bileca, while Miroslav Duka was Commander of Police with the Public Safety Station in Bileca at that time.
They are suspected of unlawful detention, deportations, murders, torture and physical and mental abuse of Bosniaks and Croats in Bileca municipality in 1992.
Attorney Milenko Vojo Radovic considers that, most importantly, the Prosecution has not presented evidence, confirming the grounds for suspicion related to the crimes of which Vujovic and Duka are suspected.
“This is a pure paraphrase of the standard text, abstract. (…) Nothing has been made certain, but assumed by respected colleague Prosecutor,” said Radovic, Defence attorney of Vujovic, proposing some prohibiting measures for his client.
The Defence of indictee Miroslav Duka shares his opinion.
“The Prosecution is asking the Court to let it have more time to examine other suspects and conduct an investigation. This is not the ground for custody,” Dejan Bogdanovic, Defence attorney of Duka, considers.
He said that his client had not influenced any of the witnesses for 21 years, so he would not start doing it now. He said that no citizens had felt unsafe during that time, so they would not feel unsafe in the future either.
The Court will render its decision at a later stage.
