Witness Says Vrucinic Created Interventions Group in Sanski Most

Mirko Vrucinic, the former chief of the public safety station and member of the crisis committee in Sanski Most, has been charged with participating in a joint criminal enterprise aimed at persecuting the non-Serb population from April to December 1992.

Vrucinic has been charged with persecuting the Bosniak and Croat civilian population with acts of murder, forcible resettlement, unlawful detention and forcible disappearances.

Milan Ivanic, the former commander of the Sanski Most public safety station, continued the second day of his testimony. During cross-examination, he said Vrucinic never asked him to do anything illegal.

When he testified on September 25, Ivanic said the army and the military police arrested people and took them to concentration camps. He said he didn’t know who arrested the leaders of the Party for Democratic Action, and that the detainees weren’t brought in front of the police station. He also said he didn’t know who escorted detainees to Manjaca and whether police forces beat them.

“This police force is apathetic. It can’t perform its job,” Ivanic said, repeating Vrucinic’s words from a casual conversation they had.

Ivanic confirmed that Vrucinic brought in an interventions group which performed all police tasks in the area. According to Ivanic, the interventions group consisted of between 10 and 12 soldiers.

The trial will continue on October 30.