Prosecution Witness Confirms: Dobrovoljačka Column Was Under UNPROFOR Protection

By: A. Čorbo-Zećo

Dragan Ćućilo, former Assistant Head of Medical Services in the command of the Second Military District, testified today as a witness for the BiH Prosecutor's Office in the 'Dobrovoljačka' case. He spoke about his knowledge of the events in the Command of the Second Military District from April to May 3, 1992.

Answering questions from prosecutor Mladen Vukojičić, he stated that on May 2, there was an attack on the Command of the Second Military District, and they received orders to stay in their offices and return fire. He said the attack lasted all day and all night, and in the morning they received information from Commander Budimir Radulović that 'Ejup Ganić, UNPROFOR, and Kukanjac had reached an agreement, and we are preparing things'.

'Later, Radulović came and said that those negotiations had failed, and that we should retreat to our offices again. Around 1 p.m., Radulović came again and said that a column was to be formed. As I was going down, I saw Alija Izetbegović, Zlatko Lagumdžija, and a woman going towards Kukanjac's office,' said Ćućilo.

He stated that they were told that the column would be secured by UNPROFOR members, and that they should not provoke anyone and not hold weapons in their hands.

'I was driving the ambulance vehicle because we didn't have a driver. Radulović was next to me, and in the back of the vehicle were Colonel Kovačević, Miro Sakić, Normela Šuko, a soldier, I think he was Kovačević's cousin, and another civilian,' said Ćućilo.

He recounted that their vehicle stopped near the 'Branko Lazić' school, and groups of people approached, demanding weapons and calling them 'chetnik motherfuckers'.

'At one point, a young man approached and told me to get out of the vehicle. He led me towards the stairs, then a police officer arrived and told him to take me back to the vehicle. He didn't do that, but pushed me against the wall. Later, the same police officer came and repeated that I should be taken back to the vehicle. Then he let me go. I returned to the vehicle,' stated Ćućilo.

The witness also said that another group of people, dressed in mixed attire, approached and demanded weapons.

'One of them was pulling out rifles over Radulović, which were in pillowcases. Another was swearing and saying they would kill us. Then Radulović said, tugging at his blouse, 'Shoot, you son of a bitch.' And then a burst of fire was heard, and Radulović's head fell on me. Then a police officer came and asked what happened. I told him: 'Your guys killed him.' He told me to start the vehicle and go. I started the siren and drove off. At Skenderija, I saw a transporter with the late Jovo Divjak on it. Next to him were people in uniform, who waved me to pass. I continued driving towards the Military Hospital. At the turn near the Sutjeska cinema towards the hospital, I drove into crossfire, but I made it through,' Ćućilo recounted.

When he arrived in front of the Military Hospital and opened the back of the van, Normela Šukalo and the soldier were dead.

Judge Jasmina Ćosić Dedović asked the witness if he knew when the two of them were wounded/killed, and the witness said he didn't know, but he heard that Normela died during that crossfire, and the soldier in Dobrovoljačka.

'The ambulance vehicle was divided by a metal part, I couldn't see what was happening,' said Ćućilo.

Judge Tanja Curović asked the witness to describe the people gathered around the Second Military District, and the witness said they were not military personnel and that there were women among them.

Lawyer Mirna Avdibegović asked Ćućilo if UNPROFOR members were often at the Command of the Second Military District, to which the witness answered affirmatively and said:

'We were safe because we were told that UNPROFOR would secure the column,' stated Ćućilo.

When asked by lawyer Avdibegović, he confirmed that the rifles they had in the ambulance vehicle were camouflaged, while previously, in response to the prosecutor's questions, he said that all those in the ambulance vehicle did not have medical insignia on their clothes, and that all individuals except him and Colonel Radulović were not members of the medical service.

The continuation of the trial in this case is scheduled for November 26.