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Sead Brankovic, former Security Officer with the Fourth Corps of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, ABiH and leader of the analytical team for the “Trebevic 3” operation, which was conducted with the aim of detecting all crimes in Konjic municipality, said that he had not received any pieces of official information about the murder of civilians and members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO in Trusina.
“As a security body, we had not received any pieces of information from the field about that event. The Trusina village was never mentioned,” Brankovic said, adding that, in the summer of 1993 he saw burnt houses in Trusina but he could not link them with the murders.
The witness said that he heard that “Seid Padalovic had done that, i.e. conquered Trusina”. He explained that Seid Padalovic was Commander of “Tigrovi” (“Tigers”) Unit with the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina , who was killed after the occupation of Trusina.
The State Prosecution charges the murder of 18 civilians and four members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO committed in Trusina village on April 16, 1993 upon Mensur Memic, Dzevad Salcin, Senad Hakalovic, Nedzad Hodzic, Nihad Bojadzic and Zulfikar Alispago.
The indictment alleges that Memic, Salcin and Hodzic, former members of the “Zulfikar” Special Squad, and Hakalovic, former member of the “Neretvica” 45th Mountain Brigade, participated in the attack on Trusina and the murder of civilians and prisoners of war. Bojadzic allegedly commanded the attack, the then Deputy Commander of “Zulfikar” Squad. Indictee Alispago, former Commander of that Squad, is charged with having failed to punish the soldiers, who participated in the murders.
Responding to questions made by indictee Alispago’s Defence, the witness said that he did not undertake any actions with the aim of shedding light on the Trusina events, because, as he said, he did not have any pieces of information suggesting that people had been killed in Trusina.
“I did not take any actions because I had no clue that anyone was killed there,” Brankovic said.
Witness Brankovic told the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina that a friend of indictee Bojadzic contacted him, but he did not consider it an influence but care for a friend.
“He wanted me to say that I am not sure that I saw Bojadzic at a meeting between ABiH and HVO representatives. The meeting was held with the aim of stopping the conflict. At that time Bojadzic said that he had received an order from the President to stop the meeting. The Croat participants welcomed it,” witness Brankovic said, explaining that he thought that, by President he meant Alija Izetbegovic, the first President of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who died in 2003.
The cross-examination of witness Brankovic is due to be continued at the next hearing.
Muharem Kosaric, former Inspector with the Safety Services Centre in Mostar, was examined at this hearing as well. Kosaric, former member of the “Trebevic 3” military-police operation, said that he had not received any pieces of information about the events in Trusina.
The trial is due to continue on August 8.
A.S.
