RIJEKA, Oct 15 (Hina) - The presiding judge in the trial of the so-called Gospic group before the Rijeka County Court, Ika Saric, on Tuesday read a statement, given during an investigation, by witness Stipe Hecimovic, who was not able
to take the witness stand during the main hearing due to psychical difficulties. In the statement, defendant Ivica Rozic is accused of the abduction of civilians from Karlobag.
RIJEKA, Oct 15 (Hina) - The presiding judge in the trial of the so-
called Gospic group before the Rijeka County Court, Ika Saric, on
Tuesday read a statement, given during an investigation, by witness
Stipe Hecimovic, who was not able to take the witness stand during
the main hearing due to psychical difficulties. In the statement,
defendant Ivica Rozic is accused of the abduction of civilians from
Karlobag. #L#
Judge Saric also read the reports of a psychologist and a
psychiatrist, under which Hecimovic is not capable of testifying.
The report also says that Hecimovic's statement during the
investigation was not influenced by his psychical difficulties.
The doctors' reports say that Hecimovic is suffering from Post
Traumatic Disorder and that he is not capable of answering
questions regarding the traumatic war experiences.
Hecimovic said that one day in September of 1991, four persons came
to the Karlobag police station where he worked, threatening him
with guns and asking to take them to the houses of three Karlobag
Serbs, whose names were on their list. The witness said that the
four persons who broke into the police station were masked with
female stockings. The witness said, however, he had recognised
Ivica Rozic and Zdenko Bando.
The witness took them to the houses of Momcilo Mandic, Stojan
Bogdanovic and Milos Vujnovic. According to the witness'
statement, the four men abducted the three Karlobag Serbs in a
military truck.
Hecimovic said the four men with masks had told him not to speak
about this.
Defendant Ivica Rozic said Hecimovic was "a person prone to lies".
Rozic's defence attorney Mirko Ruzic said Hecomovic's statement
was contradictory and it could not be accepted as evidence due to
the mental condition of the witness.
Ivica Rozic is indicted for the abduction and killing of three
Karlobag Serbs in the region of Ravni Dabar on the Velebit mountain
on October 25, 1991.
The trial will resume on Wednesday when witnesses who had so far
failed to put an appearance before the court, will take the stand.
(hina) it sb