30 May 2013 - ICTY

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finds that Simatović personally oversaw the delivery of arms and ammunition to Martić
between December 1990 and May or June 1991. The Trial Chamber has considered Vatroslav
Stanićić’s comments that convoys of weapons arranged by the Accused were escorted to Knin
by the JNA, as only the JNA could move freely through Serbia. The Trial Chamber allows for
the reasonable possibility that the JNA escorted these trucks to Knin, but notes that it is not
the only reasonable explanation that it had received in this respect. To that effect, it recalls the
evidence of Witness B-179 reviewed in chapter 6.6.3 that the Association of Serbs and
Emigrants of Serbia’s convoys with weapons passed freely through the country having Milan
Prodanić from the Serbian DB arranged checkpoint access for the trucks. The Trial Chamber
considers that this also addresses doubts expressed by the Defence as to whether, at the time,
trucks filled with weapons could pass through Serbia to Krajina without being checked. 4554 In
view of the evidence of Ante Marinović, Milan Babić, Witness JF-031, Mile Bosnić, Colonel
Smiljanić’s account on the arming of the Serbs in early 1991, 4555 and Martić’s statement to the
press (although unclear what period of time Martić is referring to in D296), the Trial Chamber
notes the possibility that in the process of forming the SAO Krajina Police, Martić and his
forces also received weapons from the depots of the reserve police force, the JNA and the TO,
in Serbia and in Krajina, as well as through smugglers. The Trial Chamber does not consider
Mile Bosnić’s account that the police got their weapons from the World War II Museum to be
reliable. Even so, in view that the witness was based in Kordun, as well as his testimony that
Kordun and Banija did not accept Martić’s authority at the time, the Trial Chamber considers
that the witness may have been better acquainted with the situation of police forces in Kordun
and Banija, rather than with the situation in the remainder of the Krajina territory.
2155. The Trial Chamber further finds, based on Witness JF-039’s testimony, that beginning
in January 1991, with the financial support of Stanišić, Milan Martić set up at least two new
Serb police stations in the Krajina. In this context, the Trial Chamber considers the evidence
of Mile Bosnić and the SAO Krajina Executive Committee Announcement from January
1991 4556 on the existence of numerous police stations in the Krajina at the time. It notes
however, that the two villages, where according to Witness JF-039 new stations had been set
up, are not listed in this document. The Trial Chamber further considers that in reaction to the
support from Stanišić and Simatović, Martić provided some 60 members of his police forces
4554 See Simatović Defence Final Trial Brief, 14 December 2012, para. 212; Stanišič Defence Final Trial Brief,
17 December 2012, para. 376.
4555 D118 (Letter to Mladić by Colonel Smiljanić, 5 October 1994).
4556 See exhibit P2061 (SAO Krajina Executive Committee Announcement, 5 January 1991) above.
Case No. IT-03-69-T 770
30 May 2013