Klickovic et al: Superiors’ responsibility

Two former military policemen from Bosanska Krupa spoke about the participation of the police in guarding and abusing detained Bosniaks in the course of 1992.

“Muslims were held in the school gym. The Bosnian Serbs, who committed some offences as members of military formations, were detained in one of the premises in the school building in Krupa. Originally it was planned that Muslims would be held in the school building. Military policemen were tasked with guarding them,” protected Prosecution witness A5 said.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Gojko Klickovic, Jovan Ostojic and Mladen Drljaca with crimes against Bosniaks in Bosanska Krupa committed in the course of 1991 and 1992. Among other things the Prosecution charges them with forcible detention, murder and abuse of Bosniaks detained in the “Petar Kocic” school building in Krupa town.

“Military policemen used to take Muslims from the school building in Krupa in order for them to clean the town,” said A5, who joined the Military Police Unit in May 1992.

This witness said that, acting “on superiors’ orders”, military policemen used to beat up the detainees in Jasenica. He said he once saw “cuts on the backs and arms” of some detainees who were cruelly abused.

“Mile Drljaca and Dragana Popovic gave orders for the beating of detainees. Zeljko Smoljanac and Zoran Narancic were members of the Military Police Unit. I heard other people say that Smoljanac raped a Muslim woman, while Narancic abused detainees,” A5 said.

The indictment against the three indictees mentions Mile Drljaca, Zeljko Smoljanac and Zdravko Narancic as accomplices in the crimes committed in Bosanska Krupa area.

Second Prosecution witness Nikica Egeljic claims to have been member of the Military Police Unit “for about 20 days”. He said that he used to see Mladen Drljaca when he was on duty at check-points near Jasenica.

“I used to see Drljaca near the museum building in Jasenica, because many members of local authorities were present in the area at the time. Others told me that Drljaca examined some Muslims,” Egeljic said, adding that he used to see “metal objects” in the museum building. People said that those objects had been found in Muslim houses.

Drljaca is charged with having acted as a presiding judge with the so-called Interim Court Martial in Jasenica in the course of 1992. As stated by Prosecution witnesses the Court was located in the former museum premises.

As alleged by previous witnesses, various objects were kept in the examination room. The Interim Court claimed that those object were to be used in battles.

The trial is due to continue on Tuesday, August 26.