Page 11516
1 Tuesday, 1 June 2010
2 [Open session]
3 [The accused entered court]
4 --- Upon commencing at 10.47 a.m.
5 JUDGE MOLOTO: Good morning to everybody in and around the
6 courtroom. And welcome to everybody. I hope we are all ready to work.
7 Mr. Registrar, will you please call the case.
8 THE REGISTRAR: Thank you, Your Honours. Good morning, Your
9 Honours. Good morning to everyone in and around the courtroom. This is
10 case number IT-04-81-T, the Prosecutor versus Momcilo Perisic. Thank
11 you.
12 JUDGE MOLOTO: Thank you very much. Could we have the
13 appearances for the day starting with the Prosecution, please.
14 MR. HARMON: Good morning, Your Honours, counsel, everyone in the
15 courtroom. Mark Harmon, Dan Saxon, Barney Thomas, and Carmela Javier for
16 the Prosecution.
17 JUDGE MOLOTO: Thank you very much, Mr. Harmon. And for the
18 Defence.
19 MR. LUKIC: [Interpretation] Good morning, Your Honours, good
20 morning to everyone in the courtroom. Mr. Perisic is represented by
21 Novak Lukic, Chad
22 JUDGE MOLOTO: Thank you very much, Mr. Lukic. For the record,
23 the Chamber is sitting pursuant to Rule 15 bis in the absence of Judge
24 David who is still indisposed. And before we start the business of the
25 day, I just want to place on the record the Chamber's response to --
Page 11517
1 Chamber's view of the response that we got pursuant to Rule 33B from
2 Registry relating to the discussion that took place at the last session
3 regarding priority requests by the Defence. The Registry did or CLSS did
4 file a response. Suffice to say I don't think I need to say much about
5 it. Suffice to say that the view is that there was no reason for the
6 CLSS to refuse to take requests from the Defence if they did take them
7 from the Prosecution, but we know it also that they have undertaken in
8 that submission to accept requests from the Defence henceforth, and I
9 hope that you are getting co-operation. Thank you so much.
10 Can we talk then about the status of the translations, which is
11 the very reason that we have postponed. Yes, Mr. Lukic. Any update you
12 can give?
13 MR. LUKIC: [Interpretation] Your Honours, just a few words. I
14 believe that you have been kept abreast of what we decided at the meeting
15 with the CLSS. The Prosecution and the representatives of the Chamber
16 some two weeks ago, and I believe that you have arrived at some
17 conclusions of your own as to how these proceedings should continue and
18 finish.
19 After the interruption in this case, we got in touch with -- in
20 very professional touch with the CLSS. We started sending them and we
21 keep on sending them some priority parts of the documentation that we
22 need translated as soon as possible which will allow us to start bringing
23 our witnesses in.
24 Our original position was that we would like to proceed when we
25 received all the translations and we have revised that position wishing
Page 11518
1 to start seeing the witnesses primarily those that would be led by
2 Mr. Gregor Guy-Smith because I'm obviously familiar with all of the
3 documents in my own language. Therefore, in light of the sequence that
4 you already are familiar with, we have started with the translation for
5 the witnesses, and we have been assured that the translations or parts of
6 the material for the particular witness will be available to us before
7 the 10th of June or thereabouts.
8 In that sense, as we discussed at the meeting and now I'm
9 repeating what was discussed, our wish is for the first witness,
10 Mr. Skrbic, who will be led by me, to be prepped to be in the courtroom
11 on the 14th of June. After that, we will see the next witness and if all
12 the materials will have been provided to Mr. Guy-Smith to start prepping
13 that witness, then I can assure you that we will have continuity in the
14 sequence of witnesses.
15 I have a slight reservation, but not with regard to this plan.
16 Yesterday I spoke to Mr. Djuricic and Ms. Maja Ruzic so ask them whether
17 there were any new moments whether they can update us with regard to what
18 was said at the meeting, and that was that the entire material would be
19 translated in the first week of July. The answer that I received from
20 Mr. Djuricic an hour ago, and I'm going to read just one part:
21 [English] "The whole project was calculated on the basis on the
22 transcription schedule set by OTP. According to that schedule, at this
23 moment OTP is running late with transcription of two notebooks about 500
24 pages, which might have impact on meeting the dead-line for the whole
25 project. CLS
Page 11519
1 provide the translations in timely manner and will try to compensate for
2 eventual delays in transcription as much as our resources and the
3 workload will allow."
4 [Interpretation] I'm conveying this information to the Trial
5 Chamber, but we do not wish this information to change what we believe is
6 achievable and that is if there are any further delays that with good
7 co-operation with the CLSS and the OTP with regard to the translation of
8 the most urgent things, we will be able if we start and if you render a
9 decision to that effect to start on the 14th of July. We will be able to
10 maintain the continuity of witnesses in light of the translation of the
11 documents. The 14th of June, not July. The 14th of June. And one more
12 thing that I would like to say, but before I do that, I would kindly ask
13 the Chamber to move into private session.
14 JUDGE MOLOTO: May the Chamber please move into private session.
15 [Private session]
16 (redacted)
17 (redacted)
18 (redacted)
19 (redacted)
20 (redacted)
21 (redacted)
22 (redacted)
23 (redacted)
24 (redacted)
25 (redacted)
Page 11520
1 (redacted)
2 (redacted)
3 (redacted)
4 (redacted)
5 (redacted)
6 (redacted)
7 (redacted)
8 (redacted)
9 (redacted)
10 (redacted)
11 (redacted)
12 (redacted)
13 (redacted)
14 (redacted)
15 (redacted)
16 [Open session]
17 THE REGISTRAR: We are back in open session, Your Honours.
18 JUDGE MOLOTO: Thank you so much. Yes, Mr. Lukic.
19 MR. LUKIC: [Interpretation] We are in a position that we are
20 still treading in the dark with regard to everything that has been
21 disclosed and will be disclosed to us in the forthcoming period, and we
22 are embarking on the Defence case, I have to state for the record that
23 the Defence has to retain the right to possibly, if something appears as
24 relevant in the materials that have not been disclosed, to recall some of
25 its witnesses or amend its 65 ter list with regard to some witnesses.
Page 11521
1 I'm talking in abstract terms now, but I'm afraid that if some
2 materials appear that are of relevance for this case, that in keeping
3 with the rules in such a case, we should be allowed to recall the
4 witness. I would like us to start with the witnesses. I would like us
5 to start the Defence case as soon as possible to bring the whole matter
6 to an end as soon as possible. I would like to assure you of that, and I
7 would like to assure you also of the fact that the OTP and the Defence
8 have been in negotiations about adjudicated facts, and one of these days
9 we will come out with a list of indisputable facts that will have an
10 impact on the --
11 JUDGE MOLOTO: Can I stop you there. You are going too far. Can
12 I just try to summarise what you have said. Do I understand you to be
13 saying, sir, that you are not able to start hearing the case until at
14 least the 14th of June? You also said that since the last session you
15 are co-operating with CLSS and they are translating some excerpts at your
16 request on a priority basis. You don't have anything from them that has
17 been translated that you can use to call a witness right now or in the
18 very near future? Don't be long, just yes or no?
19 MR. LUKIC: [Interpretation] We can start on the 14th of June.
20 We can start on the 14th of June, and we expect some priority
21 translations to be provided to us by the CLSS.
22 JUDGE MOLOTO: By the 10th, from what you said, the 10th of June.
23 MR. LUKIC: [Interpretation] Yes, the 10th of June. Let me state
24 that those are priority translations that we need for the second witness.
25 The first one that I will be leading I can do it even without the English
Page 11522
1 translations. What did I have in mind, Your Honours, in order to speed
2 up this process? I have correspondence with the OTP and a significant
3 part of the materials have already been prepared for the first witness.
4 However, if something that has not been translated, and I know that it is
5 interesting for the witness and I'm able to read all that with the
6 witness in the Serbian, we can MFI
7 translation. In other words, I don't have the language problem to start
8 leading my first witness.
9 JUDGE MOLOTO: Fine. How soon can you lead your first witness,
10 14th or earlier?
11 MR. LUKIC: [Interpretation] No, I can't start earlier. That
12 witness has to have a very serious proofing notes compiled. It will take
13 me four days to prepare him. We could have possibly brought him in and
14 then make a break --
15 JUDGE MOLOTO: Thank you. I'm trying to move a little faster,
16 Mr. Lukic.
17 After the 14th, you are able to call the next witness after the
18 first one. You know, in other words, we will run -- we are not going to
19 stop --
20 MR. LUKIC: [Interpretation] If all the translations do not
21 arrive and since we expect them to arrive at the beginning of June, we
22 will be ready to call our next witness immediately after the first
23 witness.
24 JUDGE MOLOTO: Thank you. And what is the status from the point
25 of view of CLSS with respect, if you do know, with respect to the entire
Page 11523
1 diary? Is that schedule still the 29th of June, or can it be earlier, do
2 you know that?
3 MR. LUKIC: [Interpretation] No. With regard to the entire
4 material, the entire diary, I believe that the entire diary will be
5 translated before the end of the first week of July, according to the
6 CLSS. However, in view of the letter that I've just read out and the
7 delay in providing the Latinic transcript, they cannot guarantee that the
8 entire diary will indeed be available before the 1st of July, but even if
9 that's not available and that untranslated part is not significant, we
10 don't think that it will have an impact on our schedule of Defence
11 witnesses.
12 JUDGE MOLOTO: Okay. Thank you so much, Mr. Lukic.
13 Is there anything that the Prosecution would like to say about
14 this point? Yes, Mr. Saxon.
15 MR. SAXON: May I just clarify one point raised by Mr. Lukic.
16 JUDGE MOLOTO: Yes.
17 MR. SAXON: I don't believe I need to go into private session for
18 this, and I don't know if perhaps there was a loss in the interpretation.
19 At page 5, lines 12 to 14, Mr. Lukic said that we, that is the Defence
20 team, have a promise from the OTP, that we, in other words the OTP, will
21 provide "all the audiotapes in succession." Certainly the undertaking of
22 the Prosecution is that we will provide all material that falls within
23 one of the disclosure rules of this Tribunal. We have not made a promise
24 to provide all of the audiotapes, because quite frankly, Your Honour, we
25 are only just beginning to review all of this material ourselves, and we
Page 11524
1 are unaware at this time whether all of the material is relevant to this
2 case or not.
3 JUDGE MOLOTO: Thank you, Mr. Saxon. And on that point itself,
4 what I did want to find out from the parties was whether over and above
5 the postponement that we are having now here, are we he going to be
6 expected to postpone again for the evaluation of the audio material, or
7 is it being evaluated right now and by the time we resume we will resume
8 full speed and no longer stop because of any material that comes, unless
9 new material comes.
10 MR. LUKIC: [Interpretation] I truly don't know that, Your
11 Honour. I have what I received and I can share information only based on
12 what has been disclosed to us so far. I believe Mr. Saxon is right, they
13 are under an obligation only to disclose material as per rules, not all
14 of it, be it Rule 66 or 68. What I wanted to say is this: We have
15 listened to some of the tapes, and we concluded that this is important
16 material. We cannot simply set it aside. Once we have received
17 everything from the Prosecution, our position will be clear. I truly
18 hope that there will be nothing in that material that may disturb these
19 proceedings, but we haven't received all of it yet.
20 JUDGE MOLOTO: I understand that. But what you have received you
21 have reviewed? Thank you. Okay. Given what you've been saying,
22 Mr. Lukic, do I understand you to say that you want an adjournment to the
23 14th?
24 MR. LUKIC: [Interpretation] Unfortunately, you understood it
25 well. The 14th is a Monday. That is why we specified that date as the
Page 11525
1 beginning of that working week. Once we start leading witnesses, the
2 14th would be a good day.
3 JUDGE MOLOTO: Okay. Anything from the Prosecution on that
4 adjournment.
5 MR. HARMON: That's fine, Your Honour.
6 JUDGE MOLOTO: Thank you very much, Mr. Harmon.
7 There is an issue that the parties have been litigating about,
8 which I think they should not be doing, and that's the 65 ter summaries.
9 What is the state of the 65 ter summaries?
10 MR. LUKIC: [Interpretation] We received your decision, and we
11 will abide by it.
12 JUDGE MOLOTO: Thank you.
13 MR. LUKIC: [Interpretation] We received your request and we will
14 comply by the 4th. We will forward certain summaries by then, and then I
15 believe the 14th of August is the dead-line for the rest.
16 JUDGE MOLOTO: For the rest of the entire case. I seem to have
17 read somewhere, I may be wrong, that as a result of your re-organisation,
18 there's -- there may be a change in the number of witnesses. Am I
19 pushing you too hard?
20 MR. LUKIC: [Interpretation] Well, we mentioned that during the
21 meeting. We said that it was our intention to give up on a number of
22 witnesses. We forwarded a letter including the Chamber to the parties
23 here. It was dated the 25th of May. We specified the sequence of the
24 witnesses whose summaries we would work on. We also advised that we were
25 to give up on five further witnesses. I believe you are in receipt of
Page 11526
1 that letter through the Registry.
2 JUDGE MOLOTO: [Microphone not activated]
3 MR. LUKIC: [Interpretation] Perhaps I can offer this comment as
4 well. In the same letter, we said -- [English] not be calling the
5 witnesses. [Interpretation] I believe this was a message on our part. I
6 keep discussing this with Mr. Guy-Smith to be as economical as possible,
7 but for as long as he's not fully acquainted with all of the material, I
8 cannot make the call. In any case, before the summer recess, I believe
9 we'll have a clear picture of what will follow afterwards.
10 JUDGE MOLOTO: Thank you so much. I don't think the Prosecution
11 wants to say anything or not.
12 MR. HARMON: No, Your Honour, thank you.
13 JUDGE MOLOTO: It seems as if we have dealt with everything that
14 the Chamber did want to deal with. Anything that the parties would like
15 to raise, Mr. Prosecutors?
16 MR. HARMON: No, Your Honour, thank you.
17 JUDGE MOLOTO: Defence.
18 MR. LUKIC: No, Your Honour.
19 JUDGE MOLOTO: Well, the matter stands adjourned -- well, the
20 14th to a time and a court to be determined.
21 MR. LUKIC: [Interpretation] I believe the 14th is scheduled for
22 the afternoon. I don't know whether this will stay the same.
23 JUDGE MOLOTO: I haven't seen the latest diary. Is it in the
24 afternoon? Do you know what the courtroom is? Okay. Then the matter
25 stands adjourned to the 14th of June at quarter past 2.00, Courtroom II.
Page 11527
1 Court adjourned.
2 --- Whereupon the hearing adjourned at 11.11 a.m.
3 to be reconvened on Monday, the 14th day of June,
4 2010, at 2.15 p.m.
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