30 May 2013 - ICTY

49435
1935. The Trial Chamber will now move to its findings. On the basis of the evidence of
Witness JF-029, Borivoje Savić, Goran Stoparić, Aco Drača, Witness JF-024, Witness C-015,
and Petar Djukić, the Trial Chamber finds that the Skorpions, with a base in Đeletovci, was
established in late 1991 or early 1992. As to the primary objectives of the unit, the Trial
Chamber notes that all the witnesses provided consistent evidence in this respect, testifying
that the Skorpions were to provide security to the oil fields in the region and to guard the
border between the RSK and Croatia.
1936. The Trial Chamber will now consider the evidence received on insignia. In this
respect, even assuming that the insignia worn by the Skorpions, the SDG, and the Unit/JATD
a.k.a. the Red Berets contained a common nexus - a sword and four Cyrillic Ss – the Trial
Chamber has not received conclusive evidence that this insignia was indeed an official
emblem of the Serbian DB and that no other unit, apart from those who belonged to the DB,
wore a similar patch. To the contrary, in view of the pictures of insignia examined above, the
Trial Chamber considers that a sword is a rather common element of military emblems and
patches. Although Witness JF-024, who claimed that the sword was a DB symbol, testified
that the sword insignia was only worn by the SDG and the Skorpions, other witnesses
provided evidence further indicating that the Red Berets wore a similar patch, and Stoparić
testified that other “DB satellite units”, including the Wolves from Vučjak, also wore insignia
depicting a sword; Stoparić failed to provide any basis for his general conclusion that these
units were DB’s satellites. 3937 Furthermore, Witness JF-005, an insider himself, did not
mention a sword when testifying about the Red Berets’ insignia.
1937. The Trial Chamber has received evidence about individuals and institutions involved
in the formation of the Skorpions. In this respect, Witness JF-029 and Witness C-015 testified
that the SAO SBWS government and Milan Milanović a.k.a. Mrgud from the MoD set up the
unit; Witness JF-024 provided evidence that Slobodan Medić a.k.a. Boca set up the Skorpions
following an authorization from JNA Major Antonić; and finally Goran Stoparić testified that
he heard that the unit was established as a satellite unit of the Serbian DB during a meeting in
Novi Sad between Boca, Mrgud, Mihalj Kertes, Radovan Stojičić, Rajo Božović, and others.
The Trial Chamber considers the source of Witness JF-024’s knowledge unclear and the
remainder of the reviewed evidence to be of a general and vague nature. In light of the above,
the Trial Chamber is unable to determine with sufficient certainty who of the abovementioned
3937 The Trial Chamber notes that in its Final Trial Brief, the Prosecution did not make any submissions with
regard to the unit referred to as the Wolves from Vučjak.
Case No. IT-03-69-T 683
30 May 2013