storm - Hrvatski memorijalno-dokumentacijski centar Domovinskog ...

Black market trade with the (Army of BiH) 5 th Corps, Muslim authorities and Croats
is widespread and growing continuously. Th eir authorities support such practices in an
organized way because they also obtain intelligence information along with the illegally
marketed goods.
Black-marketeering is mainly kept at bay by the military police, while most police
(militia) offi cers tolerate it. Some high level offi cials are exerting pressure to legalize
such practices and avoid any involvement by security and police offi cers. Some corps
and security department commanders are even being discreetly advised not to interfere
with the black market because they could be liquidated.
Because of the lack of active offi cers in lower echelon units control and command does not
function, and the result is negligence. No security steps are being enforced. Materiel and
confi dential information are poorly protected, and hardly at all in some units. Weapons
are being used in uncontrolled ways. A typical case regards a group of 12 soldiers from
the Obrovac brigade which deserted their positions on Mount Dinara and robbed at
gunpoint private cafés along the Obrovac - Dinara road. Th e same group wasted a large
quantity of ammunition in Knin. Large quantities of weapons, ammunitions and other
goods intended for the black market were found in the apartments of arrested conscripts.
Aft er disciplinary and legal action 8 conscripts were sentenced to several months in
prison.
Th e poor security conditions in the SK units and throughout the territory are also
aggravated by the poor functioning of military tribunals and civil justice, which do not
enforce any repressive measures against perpetrators of hostile actions, crime, the black
market etc.
In most cases, repressive measures are enforced by brigade and corps commanders.
However, that is not enough, because the entire government apparatus is not involved,
and the overall impression is that everyone can behave as he pleases. (...)
THE COMMANDER
Lieutenant General
Milan Čeleketić
(stamp) 41
Original, typewritten, Latin script
HR-HMDCDR, 6, str. conf., 3-171/1995
262
____________________
41 Round stamp with the text: RSK, General Staff of the Serbian Army