"Haradinaj killed Serbian policeman"

A Hague witness described a March 1998 incident and said he saw Ramush Haradinaj shoot and kill policeman Milorad Otovic. The fight between the KLA troops and the Serbian MUP that followed after the incident lasted the whole day. "Haradinaj killed Serbian policeman" Ramo Jollaj lived in the village of Glodjane near Decani from birth until April 1998. He has known the first accused Ramush Haradinaj since childhood, because Haradinaj grew up with his son. Testifying via video link from an undisclosed location, for security reasons, Jollaj described the incident that took place on March 24, 1998: the first major clash between the KLA troops and the Serbian police in this area. The witness was on his way back home from Djakovica. At the entrance to the village, he saw two police officers standing in front of the Haradinaj house, talking to Ramush's father, Hilmi. A few seconds later, the witness recounted, Haradinaj came out of the house and fired a shot at one of the policemen, Miodrag Otovic, the commander of the Rznic police station, killing him. Jollaj claims he was some fifty meters away and was able to see everything clearly. After Otovic was killed, the police surrounded the Haradinaj property. The witness and the other villagers fled and took shelter at a nearby stream. The witness left Glodjani two or three weeks after the clash because of "the situation in the village", as he put it. Describing the situation, he said that Ramush Haradinaj, his father and others spread rumors about him, saying he was a Serb collaborator. He said he did not see anything bad about the label, and added the same was true at the time. "I did work for Serbs in a private capacity, and I didn’t mind if my employers were Serbs, Roma or Albanians," the witness explained the reasons for his ostracism. The witness’s written statement was admitted into evidence, and so was a sketch on which he marked the spot where Otovic was killed. When Haradinaj's defense counsel noted his sketch did not jibe with the official police report, the witness did agree that it was possible he did not mark the spot where Otovic died with the greatest precision. "I’m not an arts teacher," he reminded the defense counsel, adding that such minor mistakes were understandable. The indictment against Haradinaj, Balaj and Brahimaj described the incident of March 24, 1998, as a watershed in the KLA activities in the Dukagjin area. The prosecutor claims that the Albanian insurgents, with Haradinaj as their informal commander, launched "a systematic campaign to take over control" of the area between Glodjane and Decani, expelling and killing the non-Albanian civilians who lived there. At the end of the hearing Monday, the prosecution called a new witness, also testifying via video link, but with full protective measures: pseudonym, image and voice distortion.

"Haradinaj killed Serbian policeman"

Ramo Jollaj lived in the village of Glođane near Dečani from birth until April 1998.

He has known the first accused Ramush Haradinaj since childhood, because Haradinaj grew up with his son.

Testifying via video link from an undisclosed location, for security reasons, Jollaj described the incident that took place on March 24, 1998: the first major clash between the KLA troops and the Serbian police in this area.

The witness was on his way back home from Đakovica. At the entrance to the village, he saw two police officers standing in front of the Haradinaj house, talking to Ramush's father, Hilmi.

A few seconds later, the witness recounted, Haradinaj came out of the house and fired a shot at one of the policemen, Miodrag Otović, the commander of the Rznić police station, killing him.

Jollaj claims he was some fifty meters away and was able to see everything clearly. After Otović was killed, the police surrounded the Haradinaj property. The witness and the other villagers fled and took shelter at a nearby stream.

The witness left Glođani two or three weeks after the clash because of "the situation in the village", as he put it.

Describing the situation, he said that Ramush Haradinaj, his father and others spread rumors about him, saying he was a Serb collaborator. He said he did not see anything bad about the label, and added the same was true at the time.

"I did work for Serbs in a private capacity, and I didn’t mind if my employers were Serbs, Roma or Albanians," the witness explained the reasons for his ostracism.

The witness’s written statement was admitted into evidence, and so was a sketch on which he marked the spot where Otović was killed.

When Haradinaj's defense counsel noted his sketch did not jibe with the official police report, the witness did agree that it was possible he did not mark the spot where Otović died with the greatest precision.

"I’m not an arts teacher," he reminded the defense counsel, adding that such minor mistakes were understandable.

The indictment against Haradinaj, Balaj and Brahimaj described the incident of March 24, 1998, as a watershed in the KLA activities in the Dukagjin area.

The prosecutor claims that the Albanian insurgents, with Haradinaj as their informal commander, launched "a systematic campaign to take over control" of the area between Glođane and Dečani, expelling and killing the non-Albanian civilians who lived there.

At the end of the hearing Monday, the prosecution called a new witness, also testifying via video link, but with full protective measures: pseudonym, image and voice distortion.