Witness Describes Seeing Sovilj and Galic Pushing Car of Murder Victim

Sovilj and Galic, both former members of the Bosnian Serb Army, have been charged with the murder of civilian Mehmed Harambasic from Sanica, near Kljuc, on May 31, 1992.

According to the charges, on May 31, 1992, Sovilj and Galic consumed alcohol in Harambasic’s cafe and forced him to serve them drinks, not allowing him to close the cafe. At around 8pm they allegedly forced Harambasic out of the cafe. Sovilj allegedly shot and killed him. The defendants then drove Harambasic’s car out of his garage.

Boro Obradovic, a former member of the reserve police in Sanica near Kljuc, testified at today’s hearing. Obradovic said he saw the defendants next to Harambasic’s car on the night of the murder.

“On my way from home to work, I saw the defendants pushing some car. I recognized Memko’s [Mehmed Harambasic’s] car. Since I know something about mechanics, the defendants ordered me to connect the cables and start the car. They were armed and I had to help them,” Obradovic said.

He said they drove away in the car. He said the next day, they were interrogated in the police station.

“I saw them, but I don’t know the details of the hearing or whether an investigation was conducted. I don’t know whether they turned themselves in or were detained. I learned later that Memko was murdered,” Obradovic said.

Obradovic said Petar Galic was married to his cousin. He said he didn’t know Sovilj and he couldn’t recognize him in the courtroom.

Expert witness Dzevad Durmisevic confirmed that an autopsy indicated that Harambasic was killed by a projectile in the chest.

A statement given by deceased witness Hasan Cemal during the investigation phase of the case was also presented at today’s hearing.

“On the day Mehmed was killed, I saw him in a bar with two soldiers. He gestured at me to come over, saying, ‘Take me to your house, Hasan, these soldiers will kill me.’ But the soldiers forced me to go home, and Mehmed remained and continued to pour them brandy,” Cemal’s statement read.

In Cemal’s statement, the soldiers came to his house later and asked for a tool to cut through a padlock. According to Cemal, the next day he found out that Harambasic had been murdered and his car stolen.

During the investigation phase of the case, Cemal had identified Sovilj and Galic in photographs as the two soldiers he had seen with Harambasic.

The trial will continue on October 22.