Indictee Was on Sick Leave During Attack
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“He was not sent to the field, because he was on sick leave. I did not see him on Brdo,” said Serif Patkovic, former Commander of a battalion with the Seventh Muslim Brigade.
He said that he went to Brdo point in the afternoon hours after having heard that a military confrontation had happened and that Company Commander Elvedin Camdzic was killed in it. Patkovic said that Camdzic could be replaced by the Deputy Commander, but he could not remember who performed that function.
“Members of the Seventh Muslim Brigade informed me about the situation in the field. Seven HVO members were captured as well as two members of the Army of BiH,” Patkovic said.
He told the Court that he did not go to Dusina, which was about two-and-a-half kilometres away from Brdo. He stayed at that point for about half an hour. As he said, he then went to the Command building in Lasva, where many soldiers were present.
The witness confirmed having seen Vehid Subotic in that area.
“I think he was walking along the railway in Lasva. I do not remember having spoken to him. I remember that he was on sick leave but I do not know why. However, I do know that he had problems with his eye, which he had lost in Croatia,” Patkovic said.
The Prosecution of BiH charges Vehid Subotic, former member of the Seventh Muslim Brigade of ABiH, who was allegedly accompanied by other persons, with having separated eight Croats from other persons in Dusina village on January 26, 1993 and escorted them to a house, where he ordered his soldiers to kill them. Subotic is on trial for a few other murders of Croats in Dusina as well.
Patkovic said that the indictee was a member of the “Gerile Reconnaissance Squad“. According to Patkovic’s testimony, being a member of that Unit, Subotic was not authorised to issue orders.
Responding to Prosecution’s questions, the witness said that it was possible that the indictee was armed and that he heard that some HVO members were killed.
The trial is due to continue on July 11.
