This post is also available in: Bosnian
Srpko Pustivuk said that he worked with the Special Purposes Unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, MUP, in Sarajevo until April 1992. As he said, the Unit was divided at that time, so he went to the Police Station in Ilijas, because he lived in his family house in Gornja Bioca, Ilijas municipality.
“The inter-ethnic relations were rather good. We kept guards together until the end of April,” Pustivuk said, adding that some Serbs were killed at that time, which caused tensions.
According to his testimony, some of his Bosniak neighbours used to come to his house, seeking help. Some went towards Visoko, taking their furniture and cattle with them. He said that some of his neighbours surrendered their weapons, including automatic and hunting guns.
Pustivuk said that the male residents, who were capable of serving in the army, used to sleep in the school building and go home during the day. Responding to a question by the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, he said that his neighbours were “accommodated” in the school building voluntarily.
“People say that Marko Kopanja came and told them that they would be taken to Podlugovi in order to be exchanged,” the witness said, adding that, according to some findings, the men were then transferred from Podlugovi to “Planjina Kuca” in Semizovac.
In 2011 the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina acquitted Srpko Pustivuk of the charges for war crimes in the Ilijas area in 1992.
Branko Vlaco, former Manager of “Planjina Kuca”, “Bunker”,“Kod Sonje” and “Nakina Garaza” detention camps, is charged with having established a system for punishment of detained civilians. Detainees were abused, forced to perform hard labour and used as human shields. Many of them were killed at those locations, while tens are still missing.
At this hearing the Defence of Vlaco presented 14 pieces of material evidence, including documents, containing information on supplying Muslim paramilitary formations with weapons from abroad, as well as a Bosnian State Presidency’s decision related to preparations for the war.
Another piece of evidence presented by the Defence was a cable sent by the Management of Vogosca Prison, seeking approval from the Ministry of Justice of Republika Srpska for occasional using of detainees for labour. By presenting this piece of evidence, the Defence wanted to prove that the Ministry was responsible for prisons.
The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina objected to the relevance of all pieces of evidence.
The trial is due to continue on April 22.
