Bundalo et al: In fear for life
18 July 2008 A former guard from "Barutni magacin" detention camp refused to say who participated in the crimes against detained Bosniaks held there.
Due to the fact that he received threats, Prosecution witness I did not want to say, "because he was afraid for his own life," who participated in the crimes at the "Barutni magacin" detention camp.
"I am too scared to mention some names here, because some of them asked other people to tell me that I shall remember them very well should I mention their names during the course of my testimony. Some people consider me a betrayer," witness I said, after having been asked a number of times by the Defence and Trial Chamber to say who participated in the taking of Bosniaks from "Barutni magacin" and in their killing.
The State Prosecution charges Ratko Bundalo, Nedjo Zeljaja and Djordjislav Askraba, among other things, with crimes against Bosniaks in the "Barutni magacin" detention camp, "Miladin Radovjevic" school building and the basement of the Public Safety Station in Kalinovik in the course of 1992 and 1993.
The indictment alleges that Bundalo was commander of the Tactical Group in Kalinovik, Zeljaja was commander of the Public Safety Station in Kalinovik and Askraba was manager of the "Barutni magacin" detention camp.
"I do not know what Askraba's function was in 'Barutni magacin', but I know that he was dressed in military uniform and he was there every day. Sometimes he kept watch and guarded the detention camp with us," witness I said.
During the course of the investigation the witness said that Askraba was "the detention camp warden." After his earlier statement was shown to him, he confirmed it in the courtroom, adding that a person named Nedjo Vukovic was "commander of the prison".
This witness said that, in early August 1992, members of a paramilitary group led by Pero Elez and Dragomir Kunarac took the men from the detention camp and then shot them. The witness could not recall the names of the other soldiers, who participated in this act, but he did say that Milan Lalovic, Rade Zdrale and "some person named Elez and Vojicic" guarded "Barutni magacin" with him.
He also said that Ratko Bundalo was "commander" of "Gornji logor" barracks but he could not remember the names of his superiors.
Elez was former commander of Miljevina Battalion, who, allegedly, was killed during the war. The Hague Tribunal sentenced Kunarac to 28 years imprisonment for crimes committed in Foca.
The indictment, filed by the State Prosecution, alleges that the men were taken away from "Barutni magacin" on August 5, 1992 and they were shot near the detention camp. After that, some detainees were cremated.
The trial is due to continue on August 18, 2008.
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