Four of the eight indictees, including the first indictee Tomislav Duic, have been on the run since last September when the Supreme Court ruled that they be placed in custody after it quashed a 2002 court ruling acquitting them. Previous statements by the four accused were read out today. Duic never entered his plea to the charges because he was on the run also during the initial trial and pre-trial investigation.
Court officials read out statements by the accused Miljenko Bajic, Josip Bikic and Emilijo Bungur, who denied charges from the indictment.
Tonci Vrkic, deputy head of the prison during the time relevant to the indictment, stood by his initial statement and repeated that he had not witnessed any mental or physical abuse of the prisoners.
Speaking about the attempted escape and murder of Serb civilian Nenad Knezevic, with whose murder the accused are charged, Vrkic said that the attempted escape was preceded by an attack on guard Andjelko Botic.
Knezevic then jumped over the fence, "there was panic and alert, I shouted 'Stop or I'll shoot' and then I shot," Vrkic said.
When Knezevic was discovered and brought back to the prison compound, he was wounded, Vrkic said, adding that he did not know who had wounded Knezevic because a number of guards opened fire at him. He also could not say which of the military police was in the prison compound when Knezevic was brought back.
Vrkic also dismissed claims by some of the witnesses that prisoners at Lora had been beaten on a daily basis.
The accused Ante Gudic asked Vrkic if anyone had threatened him or his family if he told the truth in court, to which Vrkic said that he did not want to answer that question.
The question raised the eyebrows of the accused, and presiding judge Spomenka Tonkovic said that the question could remain unanswered.
Another accused, Davor Banic, said that he did not feel guilty and that he had not been at Lora at the time of Knezevic's attempted escape.
The remaining two indictees attending the trial, Gudic and Botic, will present their defence in the next few days, after which defence counsel and the prosecution will deliver closing statements.