Witness Describes Formation of the Wartime Presidency in Trnovo
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Edhem Godinjak, Medaris Saric, and Mirko Bunoza have been charged with participating in a joint criminal enterprise aimed at the murder and detention of Serbs in villages in the area of Trnovo. According to the indictment, Godinjak was the chief of the public safety station in Trnovo, Saric was the commander of the Territorial Defense Headquarters in Trnovo, and Bunoza was a commander of Croatian Defense Forces units.
Osman Mulaomerovic, the former commander of the Civil Defense and a member of the wartime presidency of the municipality in Trnovo, said the Peace Council was formed in the spring of 1992. Its members were both Bosniaks and Serbs. The goal of the Council was to keep the peace in the municipality of Trnovo.
Mulaomerovic said that after the assassination of a Serb wedding guest in Sarajevo, the Peace Council discussed barricades which both Serbs and Bosniaks had put up in April 1992. According to Mulaomerovic, the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) and Serb citizens opposed the removal of the barricades. They requested the dismissal of Edhem Godinjak, the police chief at the time.
In response to questions by the defense, Mulaomerovic said he heard about a letter written by Rade Sljivic, who complained that he was discriminated against at the police station run by Edhem Godinjak. Godinjak, allegedly acting upon the order of higher authorities, was supposed to adjust the national structure of the station.
Mulaomerovic said the situation was never resolved, because the Serb community separated themselves and formed their own police station at the Treskavica Hotel.
According to Mulaomerovic, information about the formation of the Serb community’s police force was disclosed after the death of three policemen near Pilana, when “some armed forces came from the direction of Gorazde and caused conflicts.”
“The wartime presidency was formed then. I didn’t attend the meeting, but I was informed that people chose me. The meetings were attended by Edo [Edhem Godinjak]. My task was to coordinate between the population and the defense,” Mulaomerovic said.
According to Mulaomerovic, Trnovo was attacked by shelling on May 31, 1992, and by that time the the majority of the Serb population had already moved to Kalinovik. Mulaomerovic said that after a day of shelling, the Bosniak population went to the village of Trebecaj. After a few days, Trebecaj was also shelled, and the civilian population began to flee towards the village of Dejcici. Many soldiers went with them as well.
Mulaomerovic said the wartime presidency decided that Edhem Godinjak would temporarily perform the duty of acting president. According to Mulaomerovic, Godinjak and Medaris Saric had agreed that Saric would be the commander, and Godinja would be the chief of the army and the police.
Mulaomerovic said that members of the Croatian Defense Forces soon came to Trebecaj.
“No one called them. We accepted them as help,” Mulaomerovic said. He said the soldiers began to “make a mess” in Trebecaj. The presidency came to the decision to expel them, and according to Mulaomerovic, Godinjak was supposed to ensure they were expelled.
According to Mulaomerovic, the commander of the Croatian Defence Forces in that area was a person named Hakala.
“When the incident involving Luka Knezevic’s parents occurred, Nusret Kadic told me that they were killed by members of the Croatian Defense Forces. He said it was Hakala,” Mulaomerovic said. He said all of the information he received about murdered Serb residents were connected with the Croatian Defense Forces.
Mulaomerovic said Trnovo was liberated in August 1992, but there was no Serb population left, apart from a few prisoners who were later taken to Dejcici.
The trial will continue on May 5.
