Milovan Stankovic presented reporters with the findings of an investigation into incidents which occurred in military barracks in Manjaca and Bileća on 16 April when young soldiers taking an oath at two separate ceremonies replaced the name of Bosnia-Herzegovina that was mentioned in the text of the oath with the name of Republika Srpska, shouting catcalls as the Bosnian national anthem was played.
Those incidents were labelled as outrageous scandals which is why the NATO commander in Bosnia-Herzegovina, US general Steven Schook, insisted on an urgent probe.
Stankovic said today that the four officers, who commanded companies consisting of 'trouble-making' conscripts, bore the greatest responsibility, which is why they were most severely penalised.
Reprimands were given to the deputy chief-of-staff of the Bosnian Serb army, Colonel Dragan Vukovic, the head of the department for military-civilian cooperation, Borislav Vukicevic, and the commander of the Manjaca barracks, Major Milan Micanovic.
Republika Srpska Defence Ministry spokesman Branko Trkulja was replaced after he gave inappropriate statements over the incidents.
Answering reporters' questions, Minister Stankovic insisted on his claim that the incidents were spontaneous.
"There was no planned or premeditated activity," Stankovic said, adding that he himself did not know how he would have behaved in such a situation.
The Defence Minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Nikola Radovanovic, condemned the incidents describing them as the gravest violation which an army can perpetrate in peacetime.
Reports on the investigation will be forwarded to the NATO headquarters in Bosnia.