Custody Extension for Zecovi Crimes Suspects Requested
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The State Prosecution alleges that, if released to liberty, the indictees might influence witnesses and accomplices. It says that some witnesses received threats during the investigation.
Prosecutor Izet Odobasic said that, considering the functions they performed during the events charged upon them, Dusan Milunic, Radomir Stojnic and Radovan Cetic might influence the other indictees.
As he said, indictee Milunic threatened a witness during the investigation. The Defence of the indictee said that it had insisted for three months that the Prosecution obtained a list of telephone calls, which would prove that the witness actually called Milunic to “provoke” him.
Under the confirmed indictment, Dusan Milunic, Radomir Stojnic, Radovan Cetic, Zoran Stojnic, Zeljko Grbic, Ilija Zoric, Zoran Milunic, Bosko Grujic, Rade Grujic, Uros Grujic, Rajko Gnjatovic and Zdravko Antonic are charged with having participated in an attack on Zecovi village in 1992, when more than 150 people were killed. Also, they are suspected of the murders of 29 women and children in Gradina hamlet. After that the bodies of the killed people were buried in a mass grave, which has still not been found.
Rajko Grbic was originally suspected in the same case, but the Court of BiH refused to confirm the indictment against him.
The Defence of the indictees said that the Prosecution’s motion was based on assumptions and generalised.
The Defence of indictee Zoran Stojnic said that it was not the same thing to order a suspect and indictee into custody.
Milorad Rasevic, Defence attorney of indictee Zeljko Grbic, explained that his client was sentenced to four years in prison by the Municipal Court in Prijedor, adding that “even in case the Court terminates the custody measure, he would be taken to prison to serve his sentence”.
The Defence of Zoran Milunic said that, due to the fact that witnesses’ statements had been edited, not only their identity, but also the content of their statements was not known to the Defence. Judge Zeljka Marenic requested the Prosecution to review the statements given by all protected witnesses again.
The Court will render a decision concerning the custody extension motion at a later stage.
