Paramilitaries testify in war crimes trial

Former members of the Skorpioni (Scorpions) paramilitary unit testified in the case of war crimes allegedly committed in 1999 in Podujevo. Witness Zdravko Smiljic said told the judges at the Belgrade District Court War Crimes Chamber in Belgrade on Monday that on March 28, 1999, as a member of the Scorpions, he came to Podujevo in Kosovo, but he was not in the yard of the Gashi family, where, according to the indictment, the paramilitaries killed 14 civilians including women and children. Paramilitaries testify in war crimes trial He said that when they arrived in Podujevo, the Scorpion members were in a village home and that they heard the shooting. “A half hour after arriving, we heard machine gun firing, which lasted a long time. I do not know who was shooting,” he said, adding that Scorpion leader Slobodan Medic arrived shortly after, along with the then commander of the MUP Special Anti-Terrorist unit and an ambulance. Smiljic said that the unit was taken by bus that same day to Prolom Banja in central Serbia and that this is where they heard that some civilians were injured and killed. He said that at the time, the Scorpions were reserves in the MUP, and that he left the unit once they left Podujevo. Witness Branko Pavlovic, who also came to Podujevo as a Scorpions member, said that he heard about the dead civilians after arriving to Prolom Banja. Zeljko Djukic, Dragan Medic, Dragan Borojevic and Miodrag Solaja are accused of the crimes in Podujevo. The prosecution charged them with shooting civilians of the ethnic Albanian Gashi family in the yard of their home, on March 28, 1999. According to the indictment, five children survived with serious injuries. As soon as MUP command found out about the crime, it had the Scorpions leave Kosovo. Paramilitary Sasa Cvjetan was found guilty of the crimes in Podujevo and sentenced to 20 years in prison, with the verdict confirmed in June 2005. The trial will reconvene on November 12.

Paramilitaries testify in war crimes trial

He said that when they arrived in Podujevo, the Scorpion members were in a village home and that they heard the shooting.

“A half hour after arriving, we heard machine gun firing, which lasted a long time. I do not know who was shooting,” he said, adding that Scorpion leader Slobodan Medić arrived shortly after, along with the then commander of the MUP Special Anti-Terrorist unit and an ambulance.

Smiljić said that the unit was taken by bus that same day to Prolom Banja in central Serbia and that this is where they heard that some civilians were injured and killed.

He said that at the time, the Scorpions were reserves in the MUP, and that he left the unit once they left Podujevo.

Witness Branko Pavlović, who also came to Podujevo as a Scorpions member, said that he heard about the dead civilians after arriving to Prolom Banja.

Željko Đukić, Dragan Medić, Dragan Borojević and Miodrag Šolaja are accused of the crimes in Podujevo.

The prosecution charged them with shooting civilians of the ethnic Albanian Gashi family in the yard of their home, on March 28, 1999.

According to the indictment, five children survived with serious injuries. As soon as MUP command found out about the crime, it had the Scorpions leave Kosovo.

Paramilitary Saša Cvjetan was found guilty of the crimes in Podujevo and sentenced to 20 years in prison, with the verdict confirmed in June 2005.

The trial will reconvene on November 12.