4 December 2006
Analysis
Damjanovic: Fellow soldiers testify
BIRN BiHTwo of Dragan Damjanovic's former fellow soldiers have appeared before the Bosnian court as defence witnesses.
Ognjen Sikiras and Branislav Kutlaca, former fellow soldiers of Dragan Damjanovic, have told Bosnian court that the indictee is not guilty of murdering five camp inmates in July 1992.
Sikiras and Kutlaca, who appeared as defence witnesses, spoke of the first count of the indictment in which Damjanovic is charged that in July 1992 he took a group of Bosniak civilians from the "Bunker" detention camp in Vogosca to a location near Zuchill to act as forced labour. He is then alleged to have separated five men from the group, drove them in a truck towards the front lines, and killed them.
However, these witnesses, who were in theArmy of Republika Srpska (VRS) with the indictee, said that Damjanovic is notguilty of the murder of these men and alleged that a third party - Boro Radic -"was the main guy".
"Boro came and ordered Damjanovic tobring five civilians so that they would bury a horse that stepped on a mine andhe did that," said Sikiras, who told the court that he was in a trench on Zuc hill with the indictee on that day.
Sikiras claims that Damjanovic went home afterbringing the civilians.
"I didn't see what had happened to those men," the witness added.
But witness Branislav Kutlaca told a contradictory story about the same event, claiming that the indictee did notleave the trench on that day.
Kutlaca, who was located in a trench nearthe one where the indictee and witness Sikiras were, said that he saw BoroRadic that day with five civilians whom he took to bury the horse.
"I didn't see Damjanovic with them, but I know that that day he was in the trench next to mine," Kutlaca said.
These two witnesses also told the court that they knew of another Dragan Damjanovic who often appeared with certain Mico Chetnik, but that is not the person in the courtroom.
The trial will be continued on December 12, 2006 when both the prosecution and the defence will present their closing arguments.
Sikiras and Kutlaca, who appeared as defence witnesses, spoke of the first count of the indictment in which Damjanovic is charged that in July 1992 he took a group of Bosniak civilians from the "Bunker" detention camp in Vogosca to a location near Zuchill to act as forced labour. He is then alleged to have separated five men from the group, drove them in a truck towards the front lines, and killed them.
However, these witnesses, who were in theArmy of Republika Srpska (VRS) with the indictee, said that Damjanovic is notguilty of the murder of these men and alleged that a third party - Boro Radic -"was the main guy".
"Boro came and ordered Damjanovic tobring five civilians so that they would bury a horse that stepped on a mine andhe did that," said Sikiras, who told the court that he was in a trench on Zuc hill with the indictee on that day.
Sikiras claims that Damjanovic went home afterbringing the civilians.
"I didn't see what had happened to those men," the witness added.
But witness Branislav Kutlaca told a contradictory story about the same event, claiming that the indictee did notleave the trench on that day.
Kutlaca, who was located in a trench nearthe one where the indictee and witness Sikiras were, said that he saw BoroRadic that day with five civilians whom he took to bury the horse.
"I didn't see Damjanovic with them, but I know that that day he was in the trench next to mine," Kutlaca said.
These two witnesses also told the court that they knew of another Dragan Damjanovic who often appeared with certain Mico Chetnik, but that is not the person in the courtroom.
The trial will be continued on December 12, 2006 when both the prosecution and the defence will present their closing arguments.
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