RIJEKA, Aug 23 (Hina) - Luka Matanic, a military policeman in Gospic in 1991 and the military police commander in 1992, said at the trial of the so-called Gospic Group at Rijeka County Court on Friday he had not participated in the
abduction of Gospic civilians and had only learned of it in the press.
RIJEKA, Aug 23 (Hina) - Luka Matanic, a military policeman in Gospic
in 1991 and the military police commander in 1992, said at the trial
of the so-called Gospic Group at Rijeka County Court on Friday he
had not participated in the abduction of Gospic civilians and had
only learned of it in the press. #L#
The witness also said he had not heard anything about the listing of
Gospic residents nor had he seen imprisoned civilians at the
Perusic barracks.
Another witness at the trial today was Ljiljana Mandic, the
daughter of Momcilo Mandic, who was abducted from his house in
Karlobag and killed in the Ravni Kotar area on Mt. Velebit.
Mandic said that three unidentified persons came to their house on
October 25, 1991, taking with them her father whom they wanted to
interrogate and promising they would bring him back in several
hours.
As her father was not coming back, the witness started looking for
him. A month and a half later, after she was informed that her father
had been killed along with two other civilians on Mt. Velebit, she
demanded confirmation from the police. She said that after several
inquiries the then police superintendent in Gospic, Ivan Dasovic,
told her it was true her father had been murdered, that the murders
had been committed by a group of "the untouchables", and that she
should wait with the investigation until the war was over.
Mandic also said that in 1996 she received death threats on the
phone, after she had given a statement about the events. She asked
the anonymous caller why her father had been murdered and was given
the answer "Because of Dabar".
The witness said the caller most probably had been referring to a
police operation in 1971 on Mt. Velebit, in which her father had
participated as a policeman (of the former Yugoslavia). The police
at the time killed a group of infiltrated Croat extremist
emigrants.
Judge Ika Saric said that witnesses who did not wish to come to
Croatia would be heard before a competent court in Belgrade between
23 and 27 September.
The trial resumes on Monday, August 26.
(hina) rml sb