Evidence of Ongoing Investigation in Kovacevic Trial

At today’s hearing of the Petar Kovacevic trial the prosecution and the defense each presented two pieces of material evidence.

Kovacevic, a former member of the Bosnian Serb Army, has been charged with participating in the murder, rape and unlawful arrest of civilians in Visegrad in late May 1992.

Prosecutor Dzevad Muratbegovic filed two pieces of material evidence in response to evidence presented by the defense, but didn’t offer any further explanation as to their contents. The defense objected to the evidence presented by Muratbegovic.

“We believe this evidence emerged from the continuation of the investigation,” said Petko Pavlovic, Kovacevic’s defense attorney.

Pavlovic included two documents in the case file, including an official note the State Investigation and Protection Agency took from a potential witness for the defense. Pavlovic said this indicated that the investigation was still underway in the case.

“Later on the witness turned down our invitation to testify,” Pavlovic explained.

Pavlovic also presented a document sent by a railway company in Cacak to a Serbian railway company. He said this document indicated that the prosecutor was still conducting his own investigation.

The trial chamber accepted a proposal by the prosecution to include the examination of a court expert as additional evidence.

The trial will continue on June 15, when the court expert will be examined.