Kosovo Six: Non-existent joint command held meetings

The Hague trial of the six former Serbian officials continued with testimony from Andreja Milosavljevic. Milosavljevic, former minister in the Serbian government and the government coordinator for Kosovo, is testifying at the trial of the Kosovo Six as Nikola Sainovic’s defense witness. Kosovo Six: Non-existent joint command held meetings In his examination-in-chief, he said that in the summer of 1998 he had learned from foreign diplomats about the looting of abandoned Albanian homes in some parts of the province. Today, answering the prosecutor’s questions, he admitted that the foreign diplomats complained about the murders and mass expulsions of the Albanian civilians. He relayed all those reports to Nikola Sainovic, confirming the prosecution allegation that the federal deputy prime minister knew about the crimes against Albanians. Milosavljevic maintained today that he knew nothing about the existence of a Joint Command for the military and police in Kosovo, despite the fact that he was in Kosovo between June and September 1998. The prosecution alleges that Sainovic commanded the body while the defense claims that this body did not exist. The witness did admit that he had seen Sainovic in the company of the people who made up the informal command organ, as the prosecution alleges. He saw often Sainovic with Zoran Andjelkovic, Dusan Matkovic and Milomir Minic and sometimes he saw him with the accused generals Nebojsa Pavkovic and Sreten Lukic. The witness never saw him with all five at the same time. At the end of the hearing last week, Sainovic’s defense called a new witness, Veljko Odalovic, former head of the Kosovo district, now the chairman of the Serbian Government Commission for Missing Persons. He will continue his evidence at the trial of Milan Milutinovic, Nikola Sainovic, Dragoljub Ojdanic, Nebojsa Pavkovic, Vladimir Lazarevic and Sreten Lukic on Monday.

Kosovo Six: Non-existent joint command held meetings

In his examination-in-chief, he said that in the summer of 1998 he had learned from foreign diplomats about the looting of abandoned Albanian homes in some parts of the province.

Today, answering the prosecutor’s questions, he admitted that the foreign diplomats complained about the murders and mass expulsions of the Albanian civilians. He relayed all those reports to Nikola Šainović, confirming the prosecution allegation that the federal deputy prime minister knew about the crimes against Albanians.

Milosavljević maintained today that he knew nothing about the existence of a Joint Command for the military and police in Kosovo, despite the fact that he was in Kosovo between June and September 1998.

The prosecution alleges that Šainović commanded the body while the defense claims that this body did not exist. The witness did admit that he had seen Šainović in the company of the people who made up the informal command organ, as the prosecution alleges.

He saw often Šainović with Zoran Anđelković, Dušan Matković and Milomir Minić and sometimes he saw him with the accused generals Nebojša Pavković and Sreten Lukić. The witness never saw him with all five at the same time.

At the end of the hearing last week, Šainović’s defense called a new witness, Veljko Odalović, former head of the Kosovo district, now the chairman of the Serbian Government Commission for Missing Persons.

He will continue his evidence at the trial of Milan Milutinović, Nikola Šainović, Dragoljub Ojdanić, Nebojša Pavković, Vladimir Lazarević and Sreten Lukić on Monday.