RIJEKA, April 23 (Hina) - A witness in the trial of the so-called Gospic Group, charged with the killing of 15 Serb civilians, on Tuesday accused one of the defendants, Stjepan Grandic, of ordering him to go to Lipova Glavica as
"security at the exchange of civilians," and ordering that the civilians be shot.
RIJEKA, April 23 (Hina) - A witness in the trial of the so-called
Gospic Group, charged with the killing of 15 Serb civilians, on
Tuesday accused one of the defendants, Stjepan Grandic, of ordering
him to go to Lipova Glavica as "security at the exchange of
civilians," and ordering that the civilians be shot. #L#
Miodrag Hecimovic, a Croatian Army brigadier who commanded a
platoon of the 118th Brigade's Perusic Batallion, told the Rijeka
County court that he saw civilians detained at the Perusic
barracks. Among them he recognised one of his former teachers, whom
he brought some water.
On Grandic's orders he interviewed a detained married couple, the
Kalanjs. Djordje Kalanj, at the time the Gospic county prosecutor,
requested to be allowed to contact Judge Rukavina but Grandic
denied permission, said Hecimovic.
The witness denied having raped Kalanj's wife Mirjana, which was
mentioned during investigation, as well as hearing that something
like that occurred.
Hecimovic said Grandic told him the detained civilians had
collaborated with the enemy, that they possessed radio stations and
rifles.
Speaking about the events at Lipova Glavica, the witness said he
stood 40-50 m away from where a bus arrived with civilians and
soldiers. Disguised people and Perusic Batallion soldiers were
there, he said. Hecimovic did not see who fired the shots but
believed it was not the Perusic Batallion.
The trial resumes tomorrow.
(hina) ha sb