Silos Problem Unsolved
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Witness Mato Tadic, wo was appointed Minister of Justice in the summer of 1994, said, responding to questions by the Defence, that, after having been informed about the problem related to the Silos prison, he prepared an information note, which he then submitted to the Government of the Republic and Federation of BiH.
The Defence of indictee Mustafa Djelilovic read a part of the note, proposing dismissal of the prison, the completion of ongoing processes, as well as the relocation of prisoners to Zenica or the establishment of a special facility in the Hadzici area, as the third proposal.
Tadic said that the Government tasked three ministries with solving this problem, but the conclusions were never implemented.
The Prosecution of BiH charges Djelilovic, Fadil Covic, Mirsad Sabic, Nezir Kazic, Becir Hujic, Halid Covic, Serif Mesanovic and Nermin Kalember, with crimes committed in Silos detention camp, Krupa military barracks and 9. maj school building.
According to the charges, Hujic was Manager and Deputy Manager of Silosa and Halid Covic performed the same functions. Mesanovic was one of the deputy Managers of Silos and Manager of a detention camp in Krupa military barracks, while Kalember was a guard in Silos. The other indictees were members of civil, military and police authorities.
Tadic began testifying on September 18 this year, when he said that, only after having come to the Ministry of Justice, he found out about Silos, but the facility was not under his responsibility.
The witness confirmed that, due to war activities, there was a problem with transporting people from Silos to Sarajevo, where the competent court was seated.
I heard that people, against whom criminal reports had been filed, were held there, but there were also some without such reports, Tadic said.
When asked by the Trial Chamber whether a body, which filed a criminal report to the court or prosecution, could hold a person in detention for an unlimited period of time, the witness answered negatively.
The trial is due to continue on October 16 with the examination of a new Prosecution witness.
