Bundalo et al: Collegiality Between Indictees

Senad Dautovic, who appeared as the first witness in indictee Ratko Bundalo’s Defence, claimed that Vinac village in Jajce Municipality had not been “set on fire or demolished” when units of Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina entered. A Republika Srpska Army, VRS, Brigade, commanded by the indictee had been based in Vinac until then, he said.

“When we entered Vinac in September 1995, the village had not been vandalized. The Republika Srpska Army had withdrawn from it a day before. The operation leading up to the occupation of the village lasted for about ten days, and we needed an additional two days to enter Vinac village,” said
Dautovic, the then commander of the 77th Vrbas Division of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Dautovic said that he had met Bundalo in the Detention Unit in Kula, when they “spoke about wartime events”.

Dautovic is indicted for war crimes committed against Bosnian Croats from Bugojno. His trial is currently underway.

The State Prosecution charges Bundalo, Nedjo Zeljaja and Djordjislav Askraba with participation in the murder, torture, rape, detention and forcible disappearances of Bosniaks, as well as pillage of their property committed in the Kalinovik area in the course of 1992 and 1993.

The indictment alleges that Bundalo was Commander of the Kalinovik Tactical Group, Zeljaja was Chief of the Public Safety Station in Kalinovik and Askraba was Supervisor of “Barutni magacin” detention camp. The Prosecution charges the three men with participation in “a joint criminal enterprise”, in collaboration with members of the Crisis and Wartime Committees.

Zeljko Vasko, a former member of the First Mixed Artillery and Anti-Armour VRS Brigade, appeared as the second Defence witness. Indictee Bundalo was commander of this Brigade.

“Following Bundalo’s arrival, I was transferred to the Staffs. I performed the tasks of a personnel officer, although I am a Czech Catholic. Bundalo did not care about our nationality, but he appreciated honesty and performance of duties,” Vasko said.

Vasko claims that Bundalo told him to let him know if other soldiers provoked him because of his nationality. However, the witness did not explain whether he had to do this or not.

Mirsad Handanovic, Bundalo’s “next-door neighbour”, testified about the indictee, claiming that he lived in Banja Luka during the course of the war and adding that the indictee helped him in August 1992, when he called police and firemen due to a fire near his house.

“They extinguished the fire. I have to thank Bundalo for that, because neither the fire brigade nor the police wanted to respond to my calls. Whenever someone called them, they would first ask what your name was and then decide whether to come or not,” Handanovic said, adding that the indictee helped him several times and brought him food.

The trial is due to continue on March 19.