Prosecution Witness Reiterated: I Was Not in the Čemerno Operation!

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The trial in the case of Džemal Hadžić and others, related to the attack on Čemerno, where four VRS howitzers were stationed, and the Territorial Defense carried out an attack to neutralize the howitzers, continued today before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the cross-examination of protected witness 'I' of the BiH Prosecution.

Given the previous events when prosecutor Vladimir Simović directly questioned witness I, who eventually stated that he signed the SIPA statement under pressure, the defense had no questions. Only the defense of the first defendant, Džemal Hadžić, had a few questions. Witness I is one of the key witnesses in this proceeding.

Witness I stated that he was not even in the Čemerno operation in June 1992, and that SIPA inspector Dragan told him that he knew everything and that he just shrugged. He also pointed out that he was told that "he would be held responsible if he did not confirm what the investigators told him.".

To everyone's general surprise in the courtroom, the prosecutor immediately proposed a confrontation between the inspector and the witness. The defense objected, and the Trial Chamber rejected the prosecutor's proposal, considering that Dragan Marković was not proposed as a witness, so, in accordance with legal regulations, a confrontation could not be carried out. The prosecutor did not "reconcile" with the Court's decision immediately, and even started a debate, for which he received a serious warning from the judges.

Last time during the main hearing, the defense also objected to the legality of this witness's questioning, and today they also opposed the introduction of the SIPA statement from 3.10.2017, as well as the statement of the witness's questioning at the BiH Prosecutor's Office from 15.12.2017, considering them illegal, given everything that could be heard in the witness's testimony in the courtroom. An objection to authenticity was also filed, and for the umpteenth time, it was emphasized that none of the 122 witnesses were recorded during the investigation.

According to the Criminal Procedure Code, witness statements are usually recorded.

Witness I also spoke about the manner in which he was brought to SIPA to give a statement, and it was established that SIPA inspectors arrived at his door on 30.10.2017, and that the summons served to him in a SIPA car also bore the date 30.10.2017.

The BiH Prosecutor's Office accuses former members of the Territorial Defense (TO) and active and reserve police force Džemal Hadžić, Teufik Turudić, Džemal Smola, Senad, Haris and Benjamin Sikira, Enes Durak, Mirsad, Nusret and Mirzet Bešlija, and Hamdija Spahić and Nehur Ganić of participating in a joint criminal enterprise in Čemerno in June 1992.

The continuation of the trial is scheduled for March 28, when a new protected witness of the Prosecution, E, will testify.