Press Release · Communiqué de presse
(Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document)

ACCUSED KOVACEVIC TRANSFERRED TO THE HAGUE

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia announces that Milan KOVACEVIC is being transferred to the ICTY's Detention Unit after his detention by SFOR forces earlier today in Prijedor.

Milan KOVACEVIC has been indicted since 13 March 1997 on charges of being "complicit in the commission of genocide" in the Prijedor district between April 1992 and January 1993.

The indictment alleges that "during the period from 29 April 1992 to 31 December 1992, Milan KOVACEVIC was both a member of the municipality of Prijedor Crisis Staff and the President of the Executive Board of the municipality of Prijedor.

In his role as a member of the Crisis Staff, Milan KOVACEVIC was part of the body that held executive power in the municipality of Prijedor at all times relevant to this indictment.

As the President of the Executive Board of the municipality of Prijedor, Milan KOVACEVIC occupied the second most important position on the Crisis Staff, in terms of de jure authority. He was the individual responsible for arranging the details for visits to the camps by reporters and who provided most of the information about the camps at the briefings with visitors to the Crisis Staff."

THE INDICTMENT

The indictment was confirmed on 13 March 1997 by Judge Elizabeth Odio Benito who also signed a warrant for the arrest of Milan KOVACEVIC.

Furthermore, Judge Odio Benito ordered that "there be no public disclosure of the indictment" until further order and that copies of the arrest warrant "be transmitted to the International Stabilization Force (SFOR)".

Simo DRLJACA , whom SFOR also attempted to detain, was named in the same indictment and also charged of being "complicit in the commission of genocide" in the Prijedor district between April 1992 and January 1993.

The indictment alleges that "during the period from 30 April 1992 to 31 December 1992, Simo DRLJACA was both a member of the municipality of Prijedor Crisis Staff and the Chief of the Public Security Station (SJB) for the municipality of Prijedor.

In his role as a member of the Crisis Staff, Simo DRLJACA was a part of the body that held executive power in the municipality of Prijedor at all times relevant to this indictment. The members of the Crisis Staff acted in concert in planning and deciding the complete range of operations related to the conduct of the hostilities and the destruction of the non-Serb community in the municipality. The Crisis Staff worked in Omarska, Keraterm, and Trnopolje."