KORDIC'S VERDICT BASED SOLELY ON TESTIMONY OF ONE WITNESS?

THE HAGUE, Feb 27 (Hina) - The Hague-based international war crimes tribunal found the vice-president of the former Croat Community of Herzeg-Bosnia, Dario Kordic, responsible for the massacre of a hundred Moslem civilians in Bosnia's central town of Ahmici, solely on the basis of the testimony of one person -- Vladimir Santic, sentenced by the tribunal last year for participating in the massacre in 1993. On some fifteen pages of the judgement, the trial chamber reconstructed the chronology of events and the participants of the killings in Ahmici. Vladimir Santic (referred to as AT in court documents), according to the trial chamber, offered direct evidence that the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) on April 15, 1993, held several meetings to plan the attack on Ahmici and other Moslem villages. The almost non-existent Moslem defence on the field annulled the thesis of Kordic's defence attorneys that Ahmici was a legitimate military target because of Moslem army positions, the trial chamber has asserted. It also holds that the fact that a great number of Moslem civilians were killed in Ahmici, while there were no casualties on the Croat side, is confirmation enough the Croat side planned the attack. Santic, former commanding officer in the Fourth Brigade of the HVO Military Police, testified a political leadership meeting took place in the offices of the former commander of Central Bosnia Operation Zone, Tihomir Blaskic, on April 15. The meeting was also attended by Kordic. According to what Santic's commander Pasko Ljubicic relayed, a decision on the attack on Moslems was made at the meeting. The offensive plan was a special purpose unit, "Vitezovi", covering the town of Vitez, with the Vitez Brigade covering other villages, thus preventing access for the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR). Later that night, Santic testified, two more meetings took place at which Ljubicic relayed Blaskic's order to start the attack at 05:30 hours, with the aim of killing all men fit for military service, sparing civilians, but exiling them and burning their houses. Blaskic's intelligence officer Ante Sliskovic said at the meeting Dario Kordic was completely confident the military police would carry out the operation successfully. The trial chamber assessed Blaskic's orders, issued on April 15 to military units aimed at "defence" from a possible Moslem offensive, were only a means by which true intentions could be kept hidden. According to Santic, Ljubicic said no live witnesses should be left after the attack on Ahmici. During cross-examination Santic confessed he himself did not see Kordic on April 15, and his testimony is based on what he heard about Kordic from his commanding officer, Pasko Ljubicic. Considering the fact Santic only decided to speak about the case last year and that Kordic's liability was based on his testimony, it is unclear on the basis of what evidence the prosecution built its case against Kordic regarding the attack on Ahmici. The trial chamber said although Santic did not state the whole truth about his own role in the attack on Ahmici, the credibility of his testimony was backed by the chronology of events of April 16 when Ahmici were attacked and destroyed. Santic testified the attack on Ahmici was carried out by 75 military police, with the assistance of HVO members in the villages. They combed through Moslem houses and killed, Santic said. Although he was commander in the Military Police, Santic said he stood behind walls of houses in fright and did not participate in the massacre. His testimony in the case of the former Vitez Brigade commander, Mario Cerkez, indicated the Brigade was not involved in the attack on Ahmici. The Hague-based war crimes tribunal on Monday sentenced Dario Kordic to 25 years, and Mario Cerkez to 15 years in prison for the persecution of Moslems in Central Bosnia during the war in this country. (hina) lml sb