30 May 2013 - ICTY

49368
interviewed the Medić brothers, who said that the unit’s members were paid by the Krajina oil
company and by the RSK government, and also received equipment from the latter. 4401
Gagić’s colleagues, who interviewed other members of the Skorpions, received similar
answers to their questions. 4402
2100. In relation to the Skorpions’ training, the Trial Chamber has received evidence from
Goran Stoparić, who testified that when he joined the Skorpions in late 1992 or early 1993,
he was told that about 30 per cent of its 200 members had trained with the Red Berets at Erdut
and Mount Tara. 4403
2101. On the basis of the evidence received, the Trial Chamber finds that the Krajina oil
industry was the main source of financing of the Skorpions, and that it paid salaries to the
Skorpions following the approval of the RSK government. The Trial Chamber further notes
that Goran Stoparić testified that the Serbian DB supplemented the Skorpions’ salaries.
Having regard to the vague and speculative nature of Stoparić’s evidence in this context, and
noting that he failed to provide any basis for his conclusion that a reference to the Serbian
MUP automatically implied the Serbian DB, the Trial Chamber is unable to make a finding in
this respect.
2102. Considering the evidence of Djukić and Witness JF-024, the Trial Chamber finds that,
in addition to providing the Skorpions’ salaries, the Krajina oil industry supplied at least some
of the unit’s equipment and provided its fuel. Based on the evidence of Witness JF-029,
Witness JF-024, Gvozden Gagić, and Goran Stoparić, the Trial Chamber finds that the RSK
government supplied equipment to the Skorpions and provided it with weapons through the
SVK Vukovar Corps barracks. The Trial Chamber considers that the unsourced hearsay
evidence of Goran Stoparić on the MUP origin of some of the Skorpions’ weapons is not
sufficiently clear, and that his conclusion that the MUP in question was in fact the Serbian
MUP is of a speculative nature, and will therefore not consider his evidence in this respect
any further.
2103. In relation to training activities, the Trial Chamber considers the evidence of Goran
Stoparić that members of the Skoprions had been trained at the Erdut and Tara camps. In view
of its findings in chapter 6.4.3 in relation to the Erdut camp and in chapter 6.3.3 in relation to
4401 Gvozden Gagić, T. 17218-17225.
4402 Gvozden Gagić, T. 17225.
4403 P1702 (Goran Stoparić, witness statement, 24 November 2003), para. 75; P1704 (Goran Stoparić, corrections
to witness statements, 13 December 2010), p. 1; Goran Stoparić, T. 10327, 10494-10495.
Case No. IT-03-69-T 750
30 May 2013