PREVIOUS ATTACKERS WERE CIVILIANS Kusmuk only remembered today faces in American uniforms in Dobrovoljačka!

By: A. Čorbo-Zećo

Milutin Kusmuk, a former member of the Army of Republika Srpska, testified today before the Court of BiH as a witness for the BiH Prosecutor's Office in the Dobrovoljačka case, and like the previous ones, he testified differently than stated in his earlier statements from 2005 and 2011.

Kusmuk went to Belgrade to give a statement, which is not available to the defense, and he cannot remember when it was, nor whether the BiH Ministry of Justice was involved since it concerns another country, but he knows he went to Belgrade at the invitation of the prosecutor's office there.

Kusmuk stated today that they had weapons, automatic rifles, on May 3rd, while in 2005 he said they were ordered to leave their weapons in the building of the Second Military District. When asked by lawyer Senad Pizović which of these was true, Kusmuk said they had weapons and that he didn't know why he said differently in 2005.

This witness also suddenly remembered, although he never mentioned it before, that the attackers on the column had Army insignia.

Kusmuk had previously stated that armed civilians attacked them on the 2nd and would attack them on the 3rd of May, but today, like other witnesses heard so far, he remembered berets, lilies on shoulders, and uniformed individuals. Kusmuk stated today that some individuals were in American camouflage uniforms!

Furthermore, in his 2005 statement, Kusmuk said that fire was being opened from a combat vehicle left on the plateau in front of the Second Military District, but today he said he did not see that, only smoke, after which the vehicle slid and hit another vehicle.

Otherwise, in response to questions from prosecutor Mladen Vukojičić, he stated that he was mobilized in Mokro and was a driver, so he transported material and technical resources from the barracks to Sarajevo towards Lukavica throughout April.
According to his own statement, this was also his task on May 2nd when he arrived at the Second Military District from Lukavica in the afternoon.

“Soon, an attack began from the direction of Bistrik, the park, and from the direction of Vijećnica. Fighting ensued. The next day, May 3rd, I saw there were dead. We then learned that Alija was detained and that an agreement had been reached for our peaceful withdrawal,” said Kusmuk.

He stated that there were 30 dead attackers around the building of the Second Military District.

He emphasized that UNPROFOR was present, and that he was driving somewhere in the middle of the column when he heard noise and they stopped.

Then, 'some individuals' pulled him out of the truck and took his weapon. He also recounted that they were taken to the FIS building, and that they walked there, passing by the Željo ćevabdžinica, and that civilians threw water at them and cursed them.

Since he was a reservist, he threw his documents behind the fence, and later some individuals entered the hall and asked for Milutin Kusmuk to stand up.

“I was afraid to respond. Then they brought up Žarko Lopatić and told him to identify me, because they would kill him if he didn't. Then I responded. They took me to the basement and beat me,” said Kusmuk.

He was later taken to the Central Prison with Bogoljub Pelemiš (known to Sarajevans as a JNA soldier who yells at civilians that he will shoot the first building if they don't move), and on June 8th they were returned to FIS from where they were transferred by buses to Lukavica.

Lawyer Mirna Avdibegović asked the witness in which JNA unit he served his military service, and Kusmuk said he was in the Special Unit and served his military service in 1988. He recounted that they were sent from Slovenia to Kosovo to guard barracks during the demonstrations in those years.

Presiding judge Darko Samardžić asked the witness if the special forces guarded the building of the Second Military District, but the witness said he did not know.

The next hearing in this case will be held on May 29th.