Former Police Officers Testify at Cobic Trial, Claim No Knowledge of Arrest of Civilians

The district prosecution of Bijeljina has charged Dragan Cobic, a former member of the Interventions Squad of the Bijeljina police station, with arresting Mustafa Salkovic and Faruk Bilalic on September 11, 1992. Cobic and four other unknown perpetrators allegedly drove them in an unknown direction and killed them.

Witnesses Milorad Savic, Drago Stevanovic and Jovica Petrovic testified at today’s hearing before the district court of Bijeljina. They said they heard about the disappearance of Salkovic and Bilalic after the war, when they were called to give statements to the Bijeljina police and prosecution.

All three witnesses were police officers in Bijeljina and were working on September 11, 1992. said the Interventions Squad of the Bijeljina police station did not have clear teams and leaders. He said the teams were formed on a day to day basis.

“When we went on a mission, the police officers who were present jumped into the car,” Stevanovic said.

Stevanovic said the older police officers were usually the group leaders.

Savic and Petrovic confirmed this statement, and said each police officer could be part of any given group.

The witnesses said they couldn’t remember what happened on September 11, 1992. They said they didn’t know if the defendant was with them or if he arrested Salkovic and Bilalic.

Defense attorney Dejan Bogdanovic asked what the security situation was like in Bijeljina in 1992. The witnesses said paramilitary formations fought the police.

They said paramilitary formations in the area operated outside official structures and even tried to overcome the Bijeljina police force.

The trial continues on December 10.