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Stankovic et al: Admission of Guilt and Separation of Cases

Sud BiH

05 February 2010  Brankica Davidovic and Ranka Dragicevic have signed an agreement with the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, admitting that they helped Radovan Stankovic escape from the Penal and Correctional Facility in Foca.

The State Prosecution filed, with the Court, the agreement, details of which were not presented at this hearing, and a case separation motion, which was accepted by Judge Branko Peric.

Peric announced that he will set the date for consideration of the agreement at a later stage.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina charges Brankica Davidovic, Ranka Dragicevic, Ranko Stankovic, Mile Krsmanovic, Miroslav Blagojevic, Zdravko Vreco, Dragan Masic, Srdjan Vilotic, Miro Prodanovic and Goran Milosevic with having helped Radovan Stankovic escape from prison.

On May 25, 2007 Radovan Stankovic escaped from the Foca Prison, where he was serving a 20-year sentence, after having been found guilty before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina of crimes against humanity committed in the Foca area during 1992.  

The indictment alleges that Stankovic fled when he was transported to the Faculty of Dentistry in Foca, where he was supposed to have an x-ray of his tooth done as per a referral signed by Dr. Brankica Davidovic.

The Prosecution contends that Davidovic asked Nurse Ranka Dragicevic to refer Stankovic to the Faculty to have an x-ray done. The Prosecution says that Stankovic was supposed to use this opportunity and "meet his family".

As the trial of the eight remaining indictees continued, indictees Dragan Masic and Srdjan Vilotic, guards at the Foca Facility, testified for their Defence. The Prosecution charges them with having "failed to undertake necessary measures for the secure escort of the convict".

The two indictees said they attended a meeting in the office of Mile Krsmanovic, Assistant Director for Security of the Security Service, on May 25, 2007, adding that they discussed the escort of "high-risk convict Radovan Stankovic".

"Mile said that Stankovic did not know he would have his tooth checked on that day. I was supposed to escort him. Srdjan Vilotic brought handcuffs, which I used to tie him, with his hands in front of him. We have to get special approval from our commander to tie someone's hands behind his back," Masic said.

He said he boarded "the police vehicle, used for transportation of prisoners" together with Vilotic and convict Stankovic, and they headed towards the hospital in Foca.

"I was the first one who got out of the vehicle. Radovan was the next one. He stumbled and it looked as if he was going to fall, so I grabbed him by his hand. At that moment he pushed me away with his shoulders and started running away. Vilotic started running after him. A white car was parked in front of the hospital. The door opened and he jumped in," Masic said, adding that they went back to the Foca Facility afterwards.

Answering the Prosecution's questions during cross-examination, Masic said he could not guess in which direction Stankovic would run, adding that he was "helpless" at that moment.

"It is not up to me to think where he could run away. What could I do? I did not even have a revolver. We were so helpless at the moment. I do not know what you are charging us for. We have a total of ten revolvers in the prison. What can we do?" Masic said.

Srdjan Vilotic described Radovan Stankovic's escape in the same manner, adding that this was the first time so many guards had participated in escorting a convict. The indictee said he had been told that Stankovic was "a high-risk person" and he had to be escorted "in a correct and professional manner".

"Masic got out of the vehicle first. Stankovic followed. He pushed him away. He started running away. I jumped out of the vehicle immediately. I saw a white Golf whose door was open. I started running. Stankovic jumped into the car. Vreco and me grabbed him by his hand. The car moved quickly and Vreco was pushed away. I managed to hold on to the car as it moved one or two meters away, but that was all I could do," Vilotic said.

The next hearing is scheduled for February 15, when Goran Milosevic will testify for his Defence. After that the Prosecution is due to start presenting its closing statement.