Condric Testifies in His Own Defense

Condric has been charged with allowing two unidentified Croatian Defense Council soldiers to rape a woman at the Polet football club stadium. Her testimony was closed to the public.

The indictment alleges that after members of the Croatian Defence Council raped her, he sexually abused the victim in a humiliating way.

Testifying in his own defense, Condric said he became a military police officer for the Croatian Defence Council in Bosanski Brod in April 1992. He said he was assigned to a checkpoint between Bosanski and Slavonski Brod, and that he also went to the frontlines.

He said that in late June or early July 199, the headquarters of the military police was moved from the old police building to the Polet football club stadium at Bosanski Brod. Condric said he was wounded on July 27, 1992, and that he was on sick leave over the next ten days.

“I was in Slavonski Brod at my sister’s,” Condric said.

Condric said there were several people also named Mato in the military police, and he also knew people with the same name who weren’t members of the military police.

Condric denied that he abused Marko Mitric in an old police building. Mitric couldn’t testify due to his poor health. Condric said he saw Mitric in a room in the old police building, sitting in a chair and holding his hand between legs. A member of the military police was standing in front of him.

In one of his statements, Mitric stated that Condric had kicked and punched him, and also hit him with a shovel. The prosecutor read Mitrica’s statement from November 1994, in which he didn’t state that Condric had beaten him.

Following Condric’s testimony, defense attorney Davor Silic included documents regarding Condric’s injuries from July 27, 1992, into the court file.

State prosecution witness Saban Sehagic also testified at today’s hearing. Sehagic worked in the military police emergency services at the stadium. He said he heard screams from the room where the women were detained.

“I would presume that they either beat or raped them,” Sehagic said. He said the keys to the prisoners’ quarters were held by the commander of the military police and those closest to him.

Sehagic said he heard the women were brought out and “taken to several places, presumably to be raped.”

After the prosecutor showed him a statement from the investigation phase of the case, Sehagic said he saw Condric going to the prisoners’ quarters. However he said he didn’t see Condric abusing anyone or taking anyone out of the prisoners’ quarters.

The presentation of evidence concluded with Sehagic’s testimony. The state prosecution will present its closing statements on July 15.