Witnesses Describe Murder of Banja Luka Restaurant Owner

Loncarevic and Makivic, former members of the Special Purposes Police Squad with the Safety Services Center in Banja Luka, have been charged with murdering Vehbija Mujinovic on July 8, 1992. According to the indictment, Loncarevic and Makivic were accompanied by two other unknown persons.

Prosecution witness Tomislav Lovric told the district court in Banja Luka that he worked at the Borac restaurant. He said he left Bosnia and Herzegovina after the murder of owner Mujinovic. He said he left the country because he was afraid for his safety as a Croat.

“Mujinovic treated me very correctly. The restaurant operated well. Military officials used to gather in it. I know he had some problems, some mafia guys even tried to racketeer him,” Lovric said.

According to Lovric, Nebojsa Loncarevic came to the restaurant on the day of Mujinovic’s murder. After having greeted Lovric, Loncarevic went to a table where Mujinovic was seated. Mujinovic was talking to another soldier.

“They left a few minutes later. I assumed they went to Mujinovic’s apartment upstairs. Another soldier entered the restaurant afterwards. He told us not to leave the place and went upstairs. Another one was standing on the restaurant [street] corner,” Lovric said.

He said Mujinovic didn’t come down, so he assumed he was asleep. The restaurant staff became worried when Mujinovic didn’t appear at 9:30pm, the time when he would usually lock up the restaurant for the night.

“I rang him on the intercom, but he didn’t respond. Then we called Ruza, who came with her daughter. She had the key to the apartment. When she unlocked the door, she found him dead,” Lovric said.

Lovric said he read in newspapers later on that Mujinovic had committed suicide.

Lovric said he thought it wasn’t true that Mujinovic had committed suicide, because he didn’t think he was the sort of man who would kill himself.

Witness Branislava Bogdanovic said she was having coffee at the restaurant on the day of Mujinovic’s murder. She said saw two soldiers walk into the restaurant.

“I knew the family who owned the restaurant very well. They were good people…On the day of the murder I was having coffee by the window, but I didn’t see the owner. I saw a yellow Mercedes park in front of the restaurant. Two soldiers came out of it. They spoke to the waiter and went upstairs,” Bogdanovic said.

She said that she saw them leave and heard later on that the owner had been killed.

Ballistic expert Milko Maric said he determined that the 7.62 mm bullet that killed Mujinovic was fired from an M-57 pistol or Russian T-33 pistol.

The trial will continue on April 15.