Witness Did not See Herceg in Dretelj

A Defence witness says that indictee Srecko Herceg did not perform any command function in “Dretelj” military prison, near Capljina.

Witness Ivan Petrusic said that, in his capacity as Commander of military police with the Croatian Defence Forces, HOS, in Ljubuski, he used to visit Dretelj in the summer of 1992, but he did not see Herceg in it.

According to the witness’ testimony, Herceg trained recruiters in a training centre in Herzegovina. He said that he had never heard that Herceg arrested, robbed or killed Serbs.
 
Herceg is on trial, along with Ivan Zelenika, Edib Buljubasic, Ivan Medic and Marina Grubisic-Fejzic, for crimes in Dretelj. According to the charges, Zelenika was a HOS officer, Herceg was Commander of Dretelj, Buljubasic was Deputy Commander, while Medic and Grubisic-Fejzic were guards.

Witness Petrusic said that he had never heard that indictee Grubisic-Fejzic abused any of the detainees and that he did not remember having seen indictee Medic in Dretelj.

Responding to State Prosecution’s questions, the witness said that he only paid brief visits to Dretelj and that he did not see any decisions about appointments in HOS, except the one referring to him.

Petrusic testified as per an invitation by indictee Buljubasic, who refused to question the witness, explaining that he was not ready for that. The indictee said that he had forgotten his questions in his prison cell in Zenica, where he was serving his sentence for another crime, and that he was not concentrating enough. The Defence requested that Petrusic be invited again, so Buljubasic could examine him.

The trial is due to continue on September 2.