15. 03. 2001.

INVESTIGATION ABOUT THE WAR CRIMES COMMITTED IN THE SPLIT MILITARY PORT LORA STARTED

By Stanko Feric and Marijo Kavain

SIBENIK, SPLIT - Mario Barisic and Milorad Paic gave their testimony before the members of the criminologist department of 73rd battalion of the Military Police on what they saw and experienced in the military prison in Lora from 9 and 30 April 1992. They were sent to Lora by order of T.P., co-commander of 72nd battalion of the Military Police to put the prison in order.

Material evidence and audio records

Mario Barisic

There are material evidence, and even the audio records made by order of Franjo Tudjman which prove that besides Franjo Tudjman, also Gojko Susak, Janko Bobetko, Drago Krpina, Jure Radic, Hrvoje Sarinic, Smiljan Reljic, Onesin Cvitan , Franjo Greguric, Josip Juras, Mile Cuk, Mario Nobilo, Zdravko Zidovec, Mate Lausic, Mirko Sundov, Miro Medjimorec, Miroslav Tudjman, Tomislav Sutalo and many others knew about the war crimes committed in Lora in April 1992.

For the first time Mario Barisic and Milorad Paic now appear as witnesses. Between 9 and 30 April 1992 two of them and Damir Boksic between 12 and 30 March 1992 went from Sibenik to Lora to put the military prison in order in line with the standards of the Croatian Army. They confirmed that on 9 April in Lora they were received by Tomo Duic, military prison commander and his deputy Tonci Vrkic and were shocked with the catastrophic conditions in the prison. They saw a cell crowded with the civilian prisoners that were deformed from beating and two policemen in the other cell fighting against each other over who would continue beating the man that was lying on the floor.

The cell walls were splashed with blood. Two days later, on 11 April, Barisic and Paic came to Lora again with the co-commander of 72nd battalion of the Military Police, T.P., and entered so called C block where they found the then commander of the crime department of 72nd battalion of the MP, I.L. and three military policemen. On the table in the room divided in wooden boxes there was an induction telephone while the floor was floaded with the blood water.

On the wooden benches there were lying men dressed in the winter uniforms of the Yugoslav National Army.

According to the testimony given by Barisic and Paic, the men were calling for help and asking to be killed while the three military policemen were laughing.

They found out that it was about nine Montenegrin prisoners (according to the data of the IRC and Veritas, they were the members of the JNA Niksic corps, Luka Gazivoda, Ratko Somovic, Dusan Barovic and Luka Adzic while the identity of other five is still unknown).

They saw them being heavily harassed, the ears were cut to some of them or tongue or their eyes were stabbed. According to the witnesses, they were defonned from beating and because they were not registered it was possible for whomever to do whatever with them.

Josip Perkovic

The witnesses mentioned 14 and 15 April when the IRC representatives visited Lora asking for the permission to enter the military prison because they found out about the unregistered prisoners captured there. This caused panic so before the IRC representatives entered Lora, Josip Perkovic, Assistant Minister of Defense in charge of SlS (Secret Intelligence Service) had ordered the transfer of the prisoners.

Two rows of military policemen

Witness Miroslav Katalina

Before the prisoners were put in the military truck they had to pass two rows of policemen that were beating them with sticks. B.M. was driving the truck, which was escorted by the policemen from Sibenik, Mario Barisic, Tomislav Matic, Milorad Paic, J.T. and M.K.

The majority of the prisoners defonned from beating were the civilians from Split, Kastela, Ubla, Livno and Kupres. Among them there were old people and women that were first taken to the military barracks in Subicevac (part of Sibenik) and then accompanied by the military policemen J.T, M.K. and T. to Zadar. Barisic and Paic do not know what their destiny was later and what happened to nine Montenegrins severely tortured.

However, two of them confirmed that the military policemen in Lora told them about the killed prisoners being thrown into Kevina's Pit on Kozjak Mountain. Regarding the events in Lora, the names of Antonio Lekic, Nikola Kristo and Frane Goreta were mentioned as the persons whom certain policemen said about what they had seen there and how they were powerless to do anything because their superiors had protection from "above".

After the testimony was given by Mario Barisic and Milorad Paic, the investigation is probably to include other witnesses and possible charges are to be brought. If this happens, around twenty persons will be added to the list of the suspects.

People in Split knew about the war crimes in Lora already in September 1992

Dalibor Sardelic

The war crimes in Lora became known almost at the same time when they were committed. In September 1992, a group of people from Split even protested in the streets of Split demanding the punishment for the murderers. This happened after the mysterious and violent death of the HV officer Dalibor Sardelic. The process against four military policemen suspected for his death has not been completed till today and the only hearing before the Municipal Court was held on 3 December 1997. After Srdelic' s death, the commander of the military prison, Zdravko Galic was relieved of his post and Mihael Budimir, commander of Zadar military police was appointed to the position but he was also transferred after the case ofhanging of military prisoner in Zadar military prison and rape of the Croatian soldier Andrej Kolic.

Military prison in Lora was in function till 1997

Although Mario Barisic and Milorad Paic testified about what they had seen in military prison Lora in April 1992 there are authentic documents and verified depositions that nothing has changed not even after the thorough investigation of the MORH Commission. The military prison in Lora as a place of harassment of the captives, prisoners of war, civilians, old people and women but also the Croatian soldiers was allegedly in function till 1997.

Banovic was harassed by two military policemen detained for the assassination attempt on Hans Koschnik in Mostar

Hans Koschnik

One of the strangest episodes from the military prison in Lora is of course the case of the Croatian military policeman Josip Banovic.

He was detained in 1994 in the most problematic circumstances. During the investigation, he was strapped and insulted, he experienced heavy psychic torture and he was also physically harassed. Banovic reported all of this in writing to the Military Police Authorities, MORH, and main HQ of the Croatian Army and general major Mate Lausic. There are extensive reports on him being imprisoned in Lora in which it can be read that he was harassed by the two military policemen that were detained because of a doubt that they took part in the assassination attempt on Hans Koschnik in Mostar!