Witness Sure that Krsmanovic Drove a Truck

A protected witness’ statement is read at the trial of Oliver Krsmanovic, who is charged with crimes in Visegrad. In that statement the witness said that the indictee and Milan Lukic shot at civilians.

Witness VVS said that he saw people from Sjeverin, Serbia, a killed elderly woman and a few young men in the “Vilina Vlas” hotel in Visegrad.
 
He said that he was absolutely sure that Oliver Krsmanovic drove the men away in a “Zastava” truck covered by awning and that he saw them “killing the people under a willow tree in the middle of the day and dumping their bodies into River Drina.”
 
Another trial chamber examined witness VVS, who was granted the highest-level protection measures. His statement was read at the trial in November 2012. When the Defence submitted a list of its questions, the Special Chamber again examined him. His answers were read at the hearing today.
 
He testified about the kidnapping of 16 Bosniak civilians from Sjeverin on October 22, 1992. According to the charges, Krsmanovic and Milan Lukic participated in the kidnapping. The Hague Tribunal sentenced Lukic to life imprisonment for having committed crimes in Visegrad.
 
The indictment alleges that those civilians from Serbia were kidnapped from a bus in the part of the Rudo area passing through Bosnia and Herzegovina, BiH. They were then taken to the “Vilina Vlas” in Visegrad, where they were beaten with wooden batons and then killed.
 
In his answers to the Defence’s questions, which were read in the courtroom, witness VVS said that he decided to tell the truth in order to “disburden” himself and that he had requested protection measures for the sake of his own security. 
 
Also, he mentioned that he performed his civil duties and that he had known indictee Oliver Krsmanovic since his birth. VVS said that he was not a suspect in any cases and that he did not have “any role in Sjeverin”, adding that, in his previous statement he said who beat the people in “Vilina Vlas”.
 
The indictment charges Krsmanovic, former member of the Second Podrinje Light Infantry Brigade with the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, with having participated in murders, rape, torture and other inhumane acts against Bosniak civilians in Visegrad in 1992.    
 
As per a Defence’s proposal, recordings of testimonies by three witnesses before The Hague Tribunal are due to be played at the next hearing. 
 
After having heard the audio recordings submitted by The Hague Tribunal, Defence attorney Slavisa Prodanovic said that he received statements given by three, out of a total of 11 protected witnesses, which he had originally requested.  
 
He said that he received a confidential letter from The Hague Tribunal by mail, but he had still not seen it. He said that he would inform the Court what the letter was about at the next hearing scheduled for November 4.