Witness Says Goran Mrdja Killed His Father in Sanski Most
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The state prosecution has charged Goran Mrdja, Milorad Mrdja, Ranko Mrdja and Mile Kokot, all former members of the Sixth Sanska Infantry Brigade of the Bosnian Serb Army, with participating in crimes against Bosniaks in the Sanski Most area. The alleged crimes include acts of murder, rape, assault, theft, as well as other kinds of mental and physical abuse.
State prosecution witness Denis Velic testified at today’s hearing. He described the night his father was murdered in their home on May 2 or 3, 1993. He was 14 years old at the time.
“When I woke up, an armed man was standing next to my bed…He told me to get up, but my aunt said I was disabled. He left me alone,” Velic said.
Velic said he heard a gunshot from a distance. He said intruders beat up his grandfather and stole some jewelry. He said a third person entered the hallway and said, “Let’s get out of here, he’s dead!”
Velic said his father Hasib had jumped through an open window. He said he and his uncle began searching for him some time later.
“I heard him crying and saying, ‘I no longer have a brother,’” Velic said. He said they found his father’s body between 20-30 meters away from the house. He said the also found a bullet capsule and a knife.
Velic said he’d heard from police officers that Goran Mrdja had killed his father. He said he knew Mrdja from school.
The prosecution presented Velic with photos and asked him if he could recognize the armed man who was in his room on the night of his father’s murder. Velic said he recognized one person, he said he was “99 percent sure, but I don’t know his name.”
Ranko Mrdja’s defense said that in previous statements Velic described the man who entered his room as tall with large ears. They asked him whether this person was Goran Mrdja.
“He has gone gray a lot in the past 22 years,” he said, adding, “I was just a kid, so he seemed huge to me.”
The trial will continue on November 2.
