Vikić and others: Minister Delimustafić did not know about the killings in Veliki park

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - At the trial of Dragan Vikić and others, BiH Prosecution witness Alija Delimustafić stated that he had no knowledge of the crime in Veliki park in Sarajevo while he was performing his duties as Minister of Internal Affairs.

Delimustafić said that no one told him or that he saw any document about the murders of eight prisoners in Veliki park, which occurred on April 22, 1992. He stated that he gained some knowledge when he read certain stenograms in Belgrade. He said he read that these soldiers surrendered to the Territorial Defense (TO) and joined the TO.

Delimustafić stated that he was minister until June or July 1992, that his deputy was Vitomir Žepinić, and that he had eight or nine assistants who made independent decisions.

"I was mostly outside the building and at the Presidency," Delimustafić said.

He added that the State Security Service (SDB) was part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP), headed by Brano Kvesić and Asim Dautbašić. According to him, Dautbašić was, among other things, stationed at the Police Hall, where the Special Unit under the command of Dragan Vikić was located. He noted that Dautbašić was "tasked by the party to control the unit".

When asked if Dautbašić submitted reports to him, he replied that he did not. He said that he "reported to Kvesić and accounted to Izetbegović, and perhaps to Žepinić".

Delimustafić said that the Presidency could activate the Special Unit, not him. When Vikić's Defense suggested that this was not in accordance with the regulations, the witness said he did not know "how much the regulations were observed at that time".

When asked by the Defense if he issued orders to Vikić, he replied that he did not. He stated that he thought Vikić's direct superior was the Assistant Minister for Police, a position held at the time by Jusuf Pušina, who contacted his deputy.

Dautbašić, according to the witness, was sent to monitor both "him and Vikić and everyone who was not an SDA member".

At this hearing, the Prosecution read the statement of Petar Simović, former head of security for the Fourth Corps of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), who lives in Serbia and did not wish to testify in this case, citing illness. In his statement, which was read, Simović stated that he was immediately informed about the capture of eight soldiers in Dobrinja and that he took measures to find out what was happening, detektor.ba reports.

He said he had correct contacts with certain people in Sarajevo and that Bakir Alispahić, after a few days, gave him the names of three to four individuals of Muslim nationality by phone, with a proposal for exchange. He added that he later received a few more names.

Simović said he inquired and found out that the individuals on the lists were no longer alive, and that some had been killed in Foča.

He stated that he considered Alispahić a professional and that he did not think he ordered the killings, but that it seemed to him that he sent a direct message about what was happening with those names. Alispahić was the head of the Security Services Center (CSB) in Sarajevo at the time.

Nermin Uzunović and Mladen Čovčić are accused along with Vikić and Pušina. Vikić, as the former commander of the Special Unit and commander of the Reserve Unit, is accused of failing to prevent or take measures to punish his subordinates, as is Pušina, who was the Assistant Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RBiH). Uzunović and Čovčić are accused as former members of the Police Reserve Unit.

The trial continues on February 20.