SPLIT, Oct 23 (Hina) - The trial against eight former military police officers accused of war crimes and the murder of two inmates in Split's Lora military prison in 1992 continued on Wednesday with the testimony of witness Marko
Ivcevic, who was brought before the court by police because he had twice failed to respond to a court subpoena.
SPLIT, Oct 23 (Hina) - The trial against eight former military
police officers accused of war crimes and the murder of two inmates
in Split's Lora military prison in 1992 continued on Wednesday with
the testimony of witness Marko Ivcevic, who was brought before the
court by police because he had twice failed to respond to a court
subpoena. #L#
Ivcevic, who drove guards around the prison complex, at first
refused to testify because of threats to which he had been subjected
since he gave a statement to an investigating judge on January 17.
Asked by the prosecutor when and in which words he was threatened,
the witness responded that 20 days ago, his telephone had rang and
"a person who identified himself as the secretary of (Mirko)
Condic's centre (for the protection of the Homeland War's dignity)
asked what he was waiting for in Split," cursed his "Chetnik,
Communist, Serb, Partisan mother," and asked why he did not leave
for Serbia, Yugoslavia.
The witness added that he was certain that was not the centre's
secretary, "but somebody else of three to four people who have been
following him like the former Yugoslav secret service Udba," and
who, he believed, were members of Condic's centre.
He said he believed he even knew one of them from his village.
The witness said he had informed the police and county state
prosecution about all threats a month ago.
After being warned by the presiding judge, Slavko Lozina, that he
was obliged to testify under law, Ivcevic asked that his statement
given to the investigating judge be read out. Following a short
discussion and despite the defence's opposition, the court granted
this.
In the written statement, Ivcevic said he had recognised an inmate
in one of the prison cells as Lazo Ostojic, who had a bandage around
his head, bruises on the face, and bandaged hands. He also saw a
groups of prisoners around the complex, including one with a bloody
back "as if he had no skin".
During his interrogation by the defence counsel, the witness,
however, could not say whether he was accompanied by military or
regular police officers in the prison, nor where the cells were
located.
He was also not certain about the prisoner he saw being Lazo
Ostojic, since he only knew this by what the prison guard who led
Ivcevic in the prison had told him.
The attorney of one of the defendants, Emilijo Bungur, attorney
Ankica Luetic, objected to the entire testimony, describing it as
"false and contradictory".
The trial continues on Thursday.
(hina) lml