At the prosecution's request, Pringle drew up the report, based on witness testimonies and trial transcripts, on the role of Mile Mrksic, Veselin Sljivancanin and Miroslav Radic in the events in the eastern Croatian town of Vukovar in late 1991.
According to Pringle's conclusions, Mrksic had not taken actions expected of a commander of his experience, thus contributing to the killing of some 260 wounded soldiers and civilians from Vukovar's general hospital at Ovcara farm outside the town on 20 November 1991.
Sljivancanin commanded the evacuation of the hospital and was aware of the behaviour of Territorial Defence units and Serb volunteers, the immediate perpetrators of the crime, while Radic was not present when the crime at Ovcara was committed, but learned of what had happened the next day in conversation with the units, yet failed to inform his superiors or launch an investigation, according to the conclusions.
Pringle's findings coincide with the conclusions of the prosecution's expert, Belgian colonel Reynaud Thomas, who claimed the commander is always responsible for the actions of his subordinates, even if he transfers powers to lower-ranked officers, SENSE agency said.
Under the indictment, Mrksic was commander of Operations Group South, Sljivancanin his chief of security, while Radic commanded a unit within the Guard Brigade's First Motorised Battalion, which also commanded Territorial Defence units and Serb volunteers.
The defence will start presenting evidence on August 14.