Prosecution Requests Custody for Condric

Prosecutor Milanko Kajganic explained the existence of grounded suspicion to the Court of BiH, saying that, during the State Prosecution’s investigation the raped woman identified suspect Condric, who was arrested two days ago, as the rapist.

“Those statements indicate in what way she was detained and raped,” the Prosecutor said, adding that the investigation would be completed in a month.

He said that the raped woman’s statement was supported by other witnesses, whom the Prosecution of BiH examined. Condric, a former member of the military police with the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, is suspected of having raped a female person, who was detained in a building at ‘Polet’ football club stadium in Bosanski Brod in 1992.

The Prosecutor mentioned a danger that the suspect might flee and influence the witnesses as reasons for requesting custody. According to him, the suspect has the citizenship of Croatia, which does not extradite its citizens to BiH.

On the other hand, the Defence said that the raped woman had given several statements already, but she first mentioned the suspect, when responding to a suggestive question in her statement given to the Prosecution of BiH last month.

As said by Defence attorney Davor Silic, in her statement given to an investigative judge in Derventa she only mentioned the name Mato. He said that he noticed in the evidence that another man named Mato used to take women away from the stadium.

“I claim responsibly that we have a mix-up of identities in this case,” he said.

The Defence attorney objected to the custody order motion, saying that Condric lived in Slavonski Brod and Bosanski Brod and that he did not have an intention to go anywhere.  

The suspect said that he did not deny having been a military policeman, but he did deny having acted as a guard at the stadium. He considers that an identity mix-up has happened.

“I am totally shaken. I am on my knees. I do not know how to continue living in Bosanski Brod and Slavonski Brod,” Condric said.

The Prosecutor said that, in the summer of 1992 the suspect was wounded at the stadium and that the raped woman recognised him on photographs shown to her during the investigation.

The Court of BiH will render a decision at a later stage.