Rape Investigation did not Reveal Perpetrator

Selman Podzic, who was Security Officer with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH, at that time, said that the girl told him that a man, who was wearing an undershirt and shorts, came, accompanied by two other men, to “The Battle of Neretva” Museum, where she was detained, and told her to come out. She was raped afterwards.  

He said that he examined the Manager and two guards about those circumstances.
 
“Nobody knew who took the girl out. There were tens of men in Jablanica who matched the description she gave,” the witness said.

As he said, Zenaid Djelmo was involved in the investigation as well. Djelmo previously testified as a Bosnian State Prosecution witness. Podzic said that he ordered Djelmo to make a criminal report against unidentified persons, which he did.

When asked by the Defence whether Djelmo or anybody else told him that indictee Bojadzic could be considered a suspect, the witness said: “Nobody has ever said that”.

He said that the allegation that he took the case over, because the rapist was a member of the ABiH, was nebulous and false. Djelmo, who used to be involved in identifying perpetrators of crimes in Jablanica, previously made this allegation at the trial.  

Djelmo said that he conducted the investigation into rape and that Podzic requested him to hand the case over to him, but he resisted. As he said, when Podzic told him that he could take the case over forcibly, he handed it over to him and made an official note about it.

According to the charges, Bojadzic, a former Deputy Commander of “Zulfikar” Unit of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH, and another soldier took two female Croat detainees from “The Battle of Neretva” Museum in late July 1993. They allegedly then raped the detainees.  

A part of Podzic’s testimony referred to his job, which he performed in collaboration with Sea Brankovic. Testifying previously as State Prosecution witness at this trial, Brankovic said that Bojadzic stabbed a knife into the leg of one Croat detainee. Podzic said that Brankovic had never informed him about it.

“It was his duty to inform me about it. I do not see any purpose or reason to protect anybody, including Bojadzic,” Podzic said.

During one of the previous hearings the Defence said that a medical report for the detainee, who was stabbed with a knife, indicated that it was done by the Manager of “The Battle on Neretva” Museum.
 
Pozdzic said that Brankovic knew the Manager well.

The trial is due to continue on December 25.