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The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, BiH, filed a custody order motion for Coloman, because there is a grounded suspicion that the former member of the Reconnaissance Squad with the Seventh Muslim Brigade of the Army of BiH, ABiH, participated in crimes against Croat civilians in Vitez.
Prosecutor Gordana Tadic said that there was a fear that the suspect might flee, adding that he had been previously sentenced for other crimes several times.
“He might influence witnesses and the accomplice, whose identity is still unknown to the Prosecution. The Prosecution is searching for him,” Tadic said, adding that the application of less strict prohibiting measures would not be sufficient in this case.
Coloman, who was allegedly accompanied by another member of ABiH, is suspected of having fired several bursts of bullets through a closed door of the local community centre, where Croat civilians were detained, in Poculica village on April 24, 1993. He allegedly killed three and wounded nine persons on that occasion.
Senad Dupovac, Defence attorney of the suspect, said that all statements provided to him by the Prosecution indicated that none of the potential witnesses mentioned his client as the crime perpetrator.
“My client has never tried to hide. He has a permanent address in Zenica, which he has never changed. He has the citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina only. He does not have an intention to flee,” Dupovac said, proposing to the Court to order any prohibiting measures, such as an obligation to report to police, a ban on leaving his place of residence and others.
He pointed out that Coloman was a father of two pre-school children, whose living he had supported by collecting and selling iron.
Dupovac called on the State Court’s practices, saying that the Court had ordered prohibiting measures, instead of custody for many suspects and indictees.
“Goran Saric was sentenced to 14 years in prison for crimes in Sarajevo but the Court ordered prohibiting measures against him even when an indictment for genocide in Srebrenica was filed against him,” Dupovac said.
The Court of BiH will render a decision at a later stage.
