TWO WITNESSES GAVE CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS AT TRIAL OF SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL ZELJKO MEJAKIC

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (February 20,2008) – Two witnesses, invited by the Defence of Serbian war criminals Zeljko Mejakic and Dusko Knezevic, have given contradictory statements yesterday before the Bosnian State Court concerning indictee Mejakic's function in the Omarska concentration camp in 1992,during the Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

Answering the Prosecution's questions during cross-examination, witness Nada Markovski, who was a typist in the Omarska concentration camp in 1992, said that she "supposed" that Serbian war criminal Zeljko Mejakic "was in charge" of the Serbian aggressor's soldiers who guarded the Bosnian civilians in the Omarska concentration camp.

The Bosnian State Prosecutor charges Serbian war criminals Zeljko Mejakic, Momcilo Gruban, Dusan Fustar and Knezevic with having committed crimes against humanity against the Bosnian civilians held in the Omarska and Keraterm concentration camps in Prijedor municipality in the early stages of the Serbian aggression against Bosnia from April until the end of 1992.

The Bosnian State Prosecutor considers that Serbian war criminal Zeljko Mejakic was the commander of the Omarska concentration camp.

Witness Markovski claims to have arrived at Omarska, "as per an order issued by Simo Drljaca", former member of the genocidal paramilitary formations of the Serbians living in Bosnia, in late May 1992.

Markovski added that, from time to time, she heard "crying and screaming" and saw injured people.

Answering the Bosnian State Prosecutor Peter Kidd's questions during the cross-examination, the witness said she "did not know" who was the commander of the Omarska concentration camp.

The Prosecutor presented her with her earlier statements, given at the trials of Serbian war criminal Miroslav Kvocka in February 2001 and Serbian war criminal Milomir Stakic in January 2003, when she said that Serbian war criminal ZeljkoMejakic was the commander of the Omarska concentration camp.

The witness also claims to have seen Serbian war criminal Momcilo Gruban in the Omarska concentration camp from time to time.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague sentenced Miroslav Kvocka to seven years' imprisonment for crimes committed in the Omarska and Keraterm concentration camps, and Serbian war criminal Milomir Stakic was sentenced to 40 years of imprisonment.

Witness Radovan Kecan, former policeman from Prijedor, denied that Serbian war criminal Zeljko Mejakic was commander of the Omarska concentration camp, claiming that he was only "a chief of the patrol section".

Kecan thinks that Serbian war criminal Simo Drljaca was commander of the Omarska concentration camp.Serbian war criminal Simo Drljaca was killed in Bosnia during an arrest operation conducted in July 1997.

The trial of Serbian war criminals Zeljko Mejakic, Momcilo Gruban, Dusan Fustar and Knezevic is due to continue before the Bosnian State Court today,on February 20, when one witness will be examined and material evidence presented.
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