ZAGREB, Nov 15 (Hina) - Croatian general Milivoj Petkovic on Wednesday returned to Zagreb aboard a regular Croatia Airlines flight from The Hague, where he gave a closed-door testimony in the trial of Dario Kordic, former vice
president of the Croat Community of Herceg-Bosna, and Mario Cerkez, former commander of the Vitez brigade. "I was there two days, I have come back and am headed for Split. That's all I can tell you," Petkovic told reporters at Zagreb's airport when asked about his testimony before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. The casually attired Petkovic rushed past, evidently not in the mood for a longer conversation. Even though over the past two days he personally appeared in a Hague court as a witness, this was Petkovic's second testimony for the tribunal. He testified last June as a witness in the trial of Tihomir Blaskic, the former commander of the Ce
ZAGREB, Nov 15 (Hina) - Croatian general Milivoj Petkovic on
Wednesday returned to Zagreb aboard a regular Croatia Airlines
flight from The Hague, where he gave a closed-door testimony in the
trial of Dario Kordic, former vice president of the Croat Community
of Herceg-Bosna, and Mario Cerkez, former commander of the Vitez
brigade.
"I was there two days, I have come back and am headed for Split.
That's all I can tell you," Petkovic told reporters at Zagreb's
airport when asked about his testimony before the International
Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague.
The casually attired Petkovic rushed past, evidently not in the
mood for a longer conversation.
Even though over the past two days he personally appeared in a Hague
court as a witness, this was Petkovic's second testimony for the
tribunal. He testified last June as a witness in the trial of
Tihomir Blaskic, the former commander of the Central Bosnia
Operations Zone, but it was a video-link testimony from Zagreb.
During last decade's conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Petkovic
was the commander of the main headquarters of Bosnia's Croat
Defence Council.
His testimony in the Blaskic trial was secret and elicited major
public attention due to speculation that it contributed to the 45-
year-sentence ruled for Blaskic, particularly after the disclosure
of transcripts from the Croatian presidential office according to
which Petkovic had been prepared for a false testimony.
Petkovic denied this in September.
The Kordic-Cerkez trial is nearing completion. Currently witnesses
are being questioned. Later, the prosecution and defence will get
another opportunity to present further evidence and call new
witnesses.
The prosecution should call Croatian intelligence workers whose
testimonies should verify the authenticity of documents on the
Bosnian war which the Croatian Intelligence Service had in its
archives and whose authenticity Kordic's defence contested.
Closing arguments should be made early next year.
(hina) ha jn