Gotovina et al Judgement Volume I - ICTY

39260for certain urgent tasks like searches, securing military columns, or control posts. 280Milas testified that regular VP tasks under Article 9 of the VP Rules included securingmilitary buildings or road traffic, and patrolling in security-sensitive areas. 281 Thesewere tasks for which, in addition to requesting a search by the search service orapprehension from the apprehension service, the MD Commander could ask for theengagement of the VP. 282 The witness testified that Gotovina did request from the 72ndVP Battalion Commander that regular VP tasks be completed, and that those tasks werein fact completed. 283 However, according to Milas not all tasks listed in Article 10 of theRules were regular VP tasks for Article 9 purposes. 284 The HV commander had noauthority over the Crime Prevention and Duty Service. 285 According to Milas, manningcheck-points and conducting patrols fell under the duties of the general VP. 286 Milastestified that members of the Crime Investigation VP would sometimes man checkpoints,but he did not know of many instances where that occurred. 287 Milas alsotestified that once the VP Rules came into effect in February 1994, VP members couldnot be engaged in combat activities by a commander without approval of the CroatianMinister of Defence. 288108. Ivan Jurić, a Major in the VP Administration in August 1995 who was sent byGeneral Laušić to coordinate the work of the 72nd and 73rd VP Battalions and themilitary and civilian police in the former Sector South between 3 and 13 August1995, 289 testified that his appointment did not change or inhibit the ongoing dailyoperational subordination of the commander of the 72nd VP Battalion, Major Budimir,to Gotovina. 290109. The Trial Chamber notes that several witnesses equated the term “regular tasks”contained in Article 9 of the VP Rules with the term “daily operational tasks”. 291280 D1532 (Boris Milas, witness statement, 19 May 2009), para. 67.281 D1532 (Boris Milas, witness statement, 19 May 2009), paras 54-55.282 D1532 (Boris Milas, witness statement, 19 May 2009), paras 55, 65-66; Boris Milas, T. 19297-19298.283 D1532 (Boris Milas, witness statement, 19 May 2009), para. 55.284 D1532 (Boris Milas, witness statement, 19 May 2009), para. 56; Boris Milas, T. 19297-19298.285 D1532 (Boris Milas, witness statement, 19 May 2009), para. 66.286 Boris Milas, T. 19292-19293, 19295.287 Boris Milas, T. 19292-19293.288 D1532 (Boris Milas, witness statement, 19 May 2009), paras 19, 34-35, 53-54.289 Ivan Jurić, T. 27407, 27412-27417, 27426-27428, 27481, 27534.290 Ivan Jurić, T. 27481.291 Boško Džolić, T. 8930; Reynaud Theunens, T. 12337; Mate Laušić, T. 15558, 15590; see also PeroKovačević, T. 22099; Ivan Jurić, T. 27490.55Case No.: IT-06-90-T 15 April 2011 `