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Kovac: Trial postponed

Ante Kovac

06 October 2008  The State Prosecution completes the presentation of evidence by examining a witness, who confirms that Pincic did take witness 'A' in order to rape her.

The continuation of the trial of Ante Kovac has been postponed due to the fact that a Prosecution witness and court expert failed to appear in the courtroom.

According to the State Court, the court expert was not able to come "because he is abroad" but the witness did not provide the Court with a justification for his absence, though the Prosecution indicated that there might have been an attempt to put pressure on this witness. 
 
"The witness was invited to testify at this trial at an earlier stage but he failed to appear. He did not specifically say that he did not want to testify but he did say that he was afraid, because somebody had tried to stop him on his way to his weekend house," Prosecutor Mirko Lecic said.
 
The State Prosecution charges Ante Kovac, as commander of the Vitez Brigade's Military Police Squad with the Croatian Defence Council, HVO, with having ordered and approved the detention of Bosniak civilians in the premises of Radnicki University, cinema hall and the Public Accounting Service in Vitez.
 
Besides this, the indictment charges Kovac with having raped witnesses A and B, who were detained in Vitez.
 
Judge Saban Maksumic says that that, after the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been provided with an explanation of this witness' absence, the Trial Chamber shall decide whether to issue an apprehension order.
 
The trial is due to continue on October 10.