Custody for 13 Suspects Ordered
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Custody was ordered because the suspects could influence witnesses and hide evidence if released.
Andrija Bjelosevic, Milan Savic, Dusan Kuzmanovic, Predrag Markocevic, Marinko Djukic, Miroslav Pijunovic, Dobrivoj Culibrk, Dragan Marijanovic, Darijo Slavuljica, Sasa Gavranovic, Predrag Subotic, Vitomir Devic and Zoran Sljuk were arrested on September 2 this year due to a suspicion that they participated in the murder of at least 40 victims, enforced resettlement and the unlawful detention of several hundred people as well as pillaging and destruction of property owned by Bosniak and Croat victims.
Prosecutor Dzermin Pasic requested the custody measure due to a danger that the suspects would influence witnesses and accomplices while at liberty and that their release to liberty might disturb public order and peace.
“This motion is everything but general. We conducted special interception actions for five of the suspects. We have evidence containing interesting conversations, revealing that some of the persons influenced the course of the investigation. By conducting those activities, crimes defined as interference with the work of judiciary were committed,” Pasic said.
Tatjana Savic, Defence attorney of suspect Bjelosevic, said that “not even the basic conditions for ordering custody” had been met.
“After seven years of investigation the Prosecution still does not know the names of all suspects. Also, the number of witnesses, who are yet to be examined, has still not been defined. At the same time they are requesting the Court to order some persons into custody due to a danger that they might influence the witnesses. This is not acceptable,” Savic said.
She mentioned that the Prosecution acted in “an unfair” way by informing the media and public about the arrest of 13 people and then files a custody order motion due to a danger that the public might be disturbed by their release to liberty.
“The fact that the arrest happened on the day, when Chief Hague Tribunal Prosecutor Serge Brammertz visited Bosnia and Herzegovina, is not accidental. Therefore, I call on this Court to resist this pressure,” Savic said.
Milorad Rasevic, attorney of suspect Savic, said that the arrest of the suspects was “unnecessarily spectacular and convenient, considering the visit by Prosecutor Brammertz”.
“I received this motion consisting of 16 pages only about an hour prior to the hearing. Hence, I am not absolutely ready to respond to it at this moment. Such actions deny the right to defence,” Rasevic said.
The Defence attorneys of the 13 suspects pointed out that the Prosecution had not provided them with all pieces of evidence available to it, proposing the Court to order prohibiting measures, which would disable the influence on witnesses and other suspects.
Attorney Goran Bjelosevic said that, in his statement to the State Prosecution Dario Slavuljica “admitted the crimes of which he is suspected”, so there is no need for him to influence witnesses.
