Witness at Jovanovic Trial Received Information About Mother’s Death Through Neighbour

Stevo, Milosav, Marijan and Slavko Jovanovic have been charged with murdering a woman in the village of Buckovici in the Cajnice area on June 4, 1992. The defendants were all members of the Third Podrinjska Light Infantry Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army.The defendants have also been charged with killing five Bosniak civilians in the village of Medosevici during the first half of July, 1992. Two civilians were killed with firearms. One was killed with a blow to the chest. The defendants then killed two children by locking them inside a house and setting it on fire.State prosecution witness Nurija Makota, who accused the defendants of killing his mother, testified at today’s hearing. Makota said his neighbour Petar Pljevacic gave him information about the circumstances of his mother’s death and enjoyed a close relationship with the defendants.During direct examination, Makota said Pljevacic told him that his mother Aisa was killed by “scum from Medosevici, the hamlet of Haluge” in the village of Buskovici on June 4, 1992.The defense asked Makota to provide the names of living Serbs who could confirm Pljevacic’s story. Makota mentioned the names of a few people and said he knew they wouldn’t testify. Makota said his wife was present during his conversation with Pljevacic and made them coffee, but had since deceased.The second witness at the hearing, Vehid Popovic, said he didn’t know who destroyed his property in the hamlet of Dubrave. He said he found his home in ruins after the war.Popovic said Petar Pljevacic was his closest neighbour. He said they had family-like relations. Popovic said Aisa Makota was an old woman, but didn’t know what happened to her. He said he hadn’t spoken about her with his neighbours, because nobody wanted to talk about her.The trial will continue on July 10.