Hakalovic Was in a Trench in Buturovic Polje
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Recalling the events that happened on April 16, Musan Padalovic, former member of the 45th Brigade of ABiH, said that he saw Hakalovic in one of the three trenches in Buturovic Polje during the attack on Trusina.
“Senad was in the area closer to Majdan, where our trench was,” the witness said.
Padalovic explained that, after the shooting had begun in that area in the morning hours, he went to a trench, where his superior officer Edin Colak was. He saw the indictee among other soldiers. As he said, the witness returned to his trench an hour later. He said that he was sure that none of them participated in the attack on Trusina village.
The State Prosecution’s indictment charges Hakalovic, former member of the 45th Brigade of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with having been in Trusina on April 16 and having told Ivan Drljo to invite some local residents together with two soldiers. The local residents were later shot.
Hakalovic is on trial, along with Mensur Memic, Dzevad Salcin, Nedzad Hodzic, Nihad Bojadzic and Zulfikar Alispago, former members of “Zulfikar” Unit, for having participating in the attack on Trusina in which 18 civilians and four captured members of the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, were killed.
Responding to questions by Prosecutor Vesna Budimir, the witness said that fire was opened towards their trenches in Buturovic Polje from Kriz Hill, which was located above Trusina, and that the fire lasted several hours. The Prosecutor then asked the witness who was shooting, given that the fire lasted several hours, but he said that he did not know.
The examination of Edin Colak, who was a superior officer to ABiH soldiers in Buturovic Polje, was completed at this hearing. He said that he found out that members of the First Battalion with the 45th Brigade, soldiers from Gornji Vakuf and “Zulfikar” Unit attacked the Kriz Hill, explaining that he did not know at the time that Trusina was under attack.
The witness said that his soldiers were in the trenches during the course of the attack.
The trial is due to continue on July 8.
