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the Serbian DB had any units. 3969 In view of the witness’s position at the SAO SBWS and the
RSK MoD in the time, the Trial Chamber has difficulties believing his lack of knowledge on
issues of great importance. Furthermore, the Trial Chamber does not consider that the witness
could have indeed known whether “nobody” in the SAO SBWS received orders from the
outside, and considers such sweeping and general statements unreliable.
1950. Gvozden Gagić, an employee of the MUP of Serbia in the early 1990s, 3970 testified
that during the investigation on the Trnovo killings he interviewed the Medić brothers, and
none of them indicated having been a member of, or working for the Serbian DB. 3971 The
witness himself conducted some studies on the Skorpions before they were put on trial and
was unable to establish any links between them and the Serbian MUP or SDB. 3972
1951. The Trial Chamber will consider this evidence in relation to the above-mentioned
operations in which the Skorpions were involved.
(a) Operation Pauk November 1994-July 1995
1952. In its Final Trial Brief, the Prosecution submits that in November 1994, the Accused
deployed the Skorpions, the SDG, and the JATD and commanded them in joint operations to
support Fikret Abdić, the President of the APZB, in its fight against the ABiH. 3973
1953. In relation to Operation Pauk, the Trial Chamber has received evidence from several
witnesses, 3974 as well as through documentary evidence.
1954. Aco Drača, head of the SDB in Benkovac from late winter or early spring in 1991 and
deputy chief of the Krajina SDB from August 1992, 3975 testified that Operation Pauk
commenced on 17 November 1994. 3976 Manojlo Milovanović, the Chief of the Main Staff of
the VRS between May 1992 and 1996, 3977 testified that according to information the witness
received from Nikola Koljević, the VRS launched Operation Pauk, originally named “Stit
1994”, as a result of the failed September 1994 Breza Operation, and that Operation Pauk was
3969 Witness JF-029, T. 10165-10166; D212 (Transcript of testimony of Witness JF-029 before a local court on
24 October 2006), pp. 98-100.
3970 Gvozden Gagić, T. 17101-17102.
3971 Gvozden Gagić, T. 17218-17222.
3972 Gvozden Gagić, T. 17222.
3973 Prosecution Final Trial Brief, 14 December 2012, paras 343-344, 346.
3974 For the Trial Chamber’s examination of the Defence submissions in relation to the credibility and reliability
of Witness JF-057, see chapter 6.4.5.
3975 Aco Drača, T. 16692, 16742, 16776-16777.
3976 Aco Drača, T. 16816.
3977 P375 (Curriculum vitae of witness Manojlo Milovanović), p. 2.
Case No. IT-03-69-T 688
30 May 2013