291
ANNEX97:
WITNESS STATEMENT OF STJEPAN PEULié
REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR
BJELOV ARSKO-BILOGORSKA POLICE DEP ARTMENT
No: 511-02-04N- /96
l81h March 1996
MINUTES ON TAKING THE STATEMENT
Made in Bjelovarsko-Bilogorska Police Department on 181h March 1996
Authorized official person: Drazen Tirié
Recording secretary: Ana Kunjesié
Began at 13.35 hrs
Name, father's name: STJEP AN PEULié, MATO
Occupation: retired
Address ...
Born on 2th June 1945 in Ilaca, Vinkovci
He gave the following
STATEMENT
1 have lived in Lovas, at the above mentioned address with my wife Marija until 261
h
December 1991, when I was exiled by the members of the Serbo-Chetnik forces, and since
1992 I have lived in ... , at Zvonko Grgié's, the tenant, where I now live as a refugee.
292
On 101
h October 1991 the members of the Serbo-Chetnik forces, mostly from the
surrounding villages, came into my village of Lovas for the first time, among them were the
volunteers from Serbia. They were ail members of the volunteer detachment "Dusan Silni"
from Stara Pazova where, according to sorne, '\Vas their training centre. When they came
into the village, I, together with my family, my wife Marija, daughter Blazenka, grandson
Dominik, niece Ruzica Lukié and her daughter Marijana Lukié and the neighbours Vinko
Balié and Pavo Hujié and others, hid in my cellar. There was over 10 ofus, mostly womeil
and children. Pavao'Mujié and I went outside, and we hid to sorne safer place, that is into
my shed.
I remember that before the Chetniks came to Lovas, two cannon grenades were fired at
Lovas from the direction of Tovamik or Sid, and that when entering the village the SerboChetniks
fired a lot from automatic weapons, band rocket launchers and throwing grenades.
8 members of the Serbo-Chetnik forces came into my backyard, among who my daughter
.Blazenka recognized the brothers Lukié from Opatovac, who went to school with her. First,
they wanted to throw sorne bombs into the cellar, where women and children were, but they
did not, because these managed to answer them. Then they ordered that the gate .should not
be closed and that on it should be a white cloth, while before the attack the Serbs from the
village bad already marked their bouses witlr white cloths, about which we did not know
anything.
1 was hidden in the shed, together with. Pavao Mujié, for two days, that is, only on lih
October did we report to the Serbo-Chetnik command which was at the Community, in a
.mechanic workshop. On my .road to the command post, first I saw Miéo (Bozo) Devcié
from Lovas, wearing a blue police uniform, and who has worked until 1991 at the police
station together with my son Krunoslav Peulié, who was a member of the reserve of the
police and was on sentry duties in Vukovar,· and wlien the police in Croatia had to put
Croatian symbols (Croatian coat of arms), Devcié went to work for the police in Serbia
because of disagreement. ·
At the cornmand. post, I first had to report to Milan Radojcié, Ilija's son from Lovas and
Radovan Tepavac, Dragan's son from Lovas, who were signing in the local people of
Croatian nationality. After signing in they arranged us into two working groups, the fust
one bad the duty of picking up the civilians who died during the attack in which there was
Ivica Filié from Lovas, my wife's brother, and who now lives in Zagreb, and 1 was in the
other group with Pero Badnjak, Mato Hodak, Mato Somborac, who is now somewhere in
Backa, and Vlado Somborac, who is now in ·Laz, near Delnice; and bad a duty of picking
up dead animais. We were picking up dead animais only one day, and we collected: 8 bulls,
which we set on fire and about 15 pigs, about 40 hens and 5-6 dogs, which were buried
outside the village by Mato Hodak with an excavator.
I beard from my brother-in-law, who now lives in Zagreb, that his wife picked up 20 dead
people of Croatian nationality from Lovas, among who were: Tuna Jovanovié, Vid
Krizmanié, Dana Badanjak and Cecilija, forester Mirko from Tovamik, Josa Kraljevié, Ivan
Ostrun, Pava Dakovié, Stjepan Maderovié, Duka Poljak, Mato Kesar, Dragos Pejié, Mija
Bozié, Stjepan Pejié, Kata Pavlicevié and Tuna Sa~ljak, who were ali killed on 101
h October
1991 from the infantry weapons by the Serbo-Chetniks, while on that same day Milan Latas
was killed by the grenades and Marija Vidié a who is now in Vinkovci was wounded. The
above-mentioned people from the village were buried at Lovas cemetery with the excavator
into a mass grave. My brother-in-law, lvica Filié }las the exact list ofthe dead people.
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I also know that on that day Tuna Jovanovié's wife was killed, and was set on fire by the
Serbo-Chetniks in a barn with those 8 bulls which we found dead and partially burned, but
we have never seen ber remains.
For the above mentioned crime I find the following persons responsible who I personally
know: Zeljko Krnjaié from Lovas; Obrad Tepavac, Miéo's son from Lovas; Zoran Tepavac,
Milan's son from Lovas; Milan Vorkapié, Nikola's son from Lovas; Milorad Vorkapié,
Dragan's son from Lovas; Zoraja, Dusan's son form Lovas; Dule Grgovié, Gojko's son
who was born in Lovas, and Lived in Tovarnik; and the already mentioned brothers Lukié
from Opatovac, whom my daughter saw. Ali the metnioned persons I saw after the crime in
· uniform and with weapons, and the people from Lovas, with whom 1 talk, relate them to the
above mentioned crime. According to my calculations, a Serbo-Chetnik unit participated in
the occupation of Lovas, consisting of about 50 men, while we did not fight back. ·
While 1 was still in Lovas Dule Grkovié was saying in front of me how he killed Vid
Krizmanié from a ''Kalashnikov" and Iater he boasted around the village, and sorne said,
that in Tovarnik and Lovas he killed about 45 people, and I can also say that he and Zeljko
Krnjajié were sorne ofthe most blood-thirsty Serbo-Chetniks in Lovas.
On one occasion I also beard form sorne Serbo-Chetnik from Pancevo that a certain Kosta
from Pancevo, who was a bodyguard of Ljuban Devetak from Osijek, born in Lovas, and
who was a chief commander in Lovas, killed the Tovarnik priest with a "Kalashnikov". I
saw this Kosta severa! times and I could recognize him if I saw him or from a photograph.
On ·1 ih October 1991 around 14.30 hrs, three armed Serbo-Chetniks came into my ho use
wearing olive-drab uniforms, one of them said he was from Kra,gujevac, and they searched
the bouse, under the excuse of looking for weapons and they took ail the gold jewlery from
my daughter Blazenka and 9 gold ducats which were for ber dowry. They questioned me
about my son, about who they had information that he was a member of the National Guard
and about my membership in the HDZ (the Croatian Democratie Party). I told them about
my son that he was in the reserve qf the police with Miéo Devcié, and then they answered
me that Miéo Devcié himself, who was then a commander of the police in Lovas, sent them
to set my bouse on fire. After that I had to go to the Commander of the police, Miéo Devëié
. The police department was located at Boro Keser's bouse. l went there for sorne more
interrogating and Miéo Devëié, after the interrogation, which lasted for about 1 0 minutes,
cursed at me: ''Y our fucking Ustasha mother, 1 will kill you all" and then he sent me home.
When I came home, my wife Marija told me that a proclamation was issued that ali men
aged between 17 to 50 bad to report to the command post of the place in the community. I
went to report to the command post, where over 100 of us gathered, and we were ail Croats.
Before we entered the backyard of the Community, the Serbo-Chetniks searched us, and we
bad to sit in the back yard on the benches, which were brought from the hunters' hall, in
two rows. We spent the whole night under the night sky. First, they started to sign us in.
Ljuban Devetak separated about 20 men who he proclaimed to be the members of the
labour unit, that is, the ones he assumed to be loyal to him, among them were Sima Pejié,
who came out of Lovas in 1995 and he now lives somewhere near Pula; Tuna Lutrovié,
who came out of Lovas in 1995 and now lives in Stubiëke Toplice; Martin Safarik, who
stilllives in the occupied Lovas, my brother-in-law, Ivica Filié, who came out of Lovas in
1992, and the others whose names 1 cannot recall at the moment, who were transferred into
Mirko Milié's bouse.
During the night, the persons who signed us in also beat and tortured us, and I do not know
where those who beat us with a cable wire came from. I was hit with this cable wire only
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once across my back, and they tortured those who were interrogated at the mechanic
workshop more. I remember that Berislav Filié and Luka Balié were taken to that
interrogation.
I can also say that during that night two machine guns were pointed at us the whole time,
and 6 more Serbo-Chetniks guarded us with the "Kalashnikovs", among them I only
recognized Milorad Novakovié's son from Lovas, who was then about 16 years old.
In the morning of 18th October 1991, after 8.00 hrs, the Serbo-Chetniks began gathering
around us. The commander Ljuban Devetak went to his office and sorne men Aca and
Petronije from Panèevo began torturing us. Petronije first slammed me several times, and
then he kicked me with his boot on my chin, where I have a scar now, and he then broke
my two teeth and then he continued kicking me fiercely with his boots. During that time
Ljuban Devetak started caliing out the people that were taken out and beaten in front of us
with iron pipes and stabbed .with the bayonets. 1 remember that Mato Hodak, Marko
Sabljak, Iva Sabljak, lvica Mujié,. Mirko Keser, Bosko Bosanac, Josip Turkalj, Pero
Badnjak and others were taken out on that occasion, 11nd they weoe tortured by the'.
mentioned Aca and Petronije from Pancevo and one more person who is said to come from
Borovo. I would surely recognize those three men if I saw them. Dr Jovo Stanimirovié was
present at this molesting and torturing by the Serbs, he came from Tovarnik and worked at
the Vukovar hospital, and as far as I have beard, he n·ow is a head ofthe hospital.
Around 10.00 hrs they told us to go picking in the vineyard, and I immediately thought that
they were taking us for shooting, because I saw that sorne Serbo-Chetniks came in new
mottled uniforrns and with sorne new guns, which I bad not seen so far. Among them I did
not recognize any of them, but I later beard that there were Milan Rendulié, Franjo's son
and Ilija Kresojevié, Mihajlo's son, both from Lovas. When we started going out of the
backyard, they grouped us to walk in two groups and we set off on foot outside the village
in the direction of the plant of the factory "Borovo", that is, in the direction towards the
woods. On the road the Serbo-Chetniks killed Bosko Bosanac, who could not walk because
he was stabbed with a bayonet and ali beaten up, as I have already said. They brought us to
a community field, which is. near the road, to the community orchard and the plant of
"Borovo". They ordered that we ali bad to, and there was about 60 of us, walk on in a
convoy up the hill in the direction of the field which is the property of Jaksa Poljak. When
we climbed the hill, they told us to watch out because the army would fire at us and ordered
us a gain to hold bands and go in a line towards the plant of "Borovo". Be fore we started in
the direction of "Borovo", they told us to watch out, because our people, and they had in
mind people from Lovas, which was not true, had set a mine field, and that we should
search the area with our legs. Behind us were 20 armed Serbo-Chetniks in mottled uniforms
among whom were the mentioned Rendulié and Kresojevié. Around 1 1 .00 hrs, when we
activated the first mine, someone shouted "Lie down" and we ali probably did lie down,
a!Jd the mentioned Serbo-Chetniks started firing at us fiercely from ali their infantry
weapons, and the shootings lasted for about 15 minutes.
On the mentioned mine field we were around 2 hours. Later 1 heard that further torture in
the mine field was prevented by sorne two Serbo-Chetnik officers that were passing by in a
military jeep, but 1 did not see them. When the mentioned officers prevented further
shooting, we bad to clear the field of mines, and we stayed there until we cleared the way
towards the road. I noticed that the mentioned· unit was commanded by sorne Dragan who
had three stars on his sboulders, that is, he had the rank of a captain. When we who
survived came to the road, that Dragan ordered us to pick up the surviving wounded ones. I
took out from the mine field, together with Dragan Krizmanié, the wounded Ivica Mujié,
295
who was wounded in the stomach from a mine. On that occasion I stepped on a mine with
my dght leg, and my toe of my right leg was torn off. When the mine exploded, 1 fell on thè
ground, but I managed to pull myself together. 1 saw that the mine torn half of my shoe off.
1 remember that Luka Radoèaj pulled me out of the minefield. l was put into a truck with
the other wounded, among them were the mentioned Ivica Mujié, who was wounded in his
stomach; Emanuel Filié, who was wounded in the back from a gun and who is now in Novi
Vinodolski; Stanislav Frankovié, who was wounded in the arm from a gun and who is now
in Zagreb; Zolika from Opatovac who is now in K.rizevci; Ljubo Solak, who is now in
Zagreb; Milan Radmilovié, who is now in Vinkovci; Kika K.raljevié, Josip Turkalj, who
was wounded in the back from a gun and who died in the hospital in Sid; Mirko Keser, who
is now in Pula; Marko Filié, who is now in Primosten; Joco Sabljak, who is now in Slatina
and others; overall 13 of us wounded. W e w.ere ali taken to Sid to a clinic, where our
wounds were dressed and after that we were returned to the clinic in Lovas at Dr Slobodan
Kacar's where we lay down for two days, after which Dr Kaèar called out me, Ivica Mujié,
Stanislav Frankovié and Zolika, who were seriously wounded and then we were transferred
to the hospital in Sremska Mitrovica. The next day, on Sunday, the other wounded were
brought to the hospital to Sremska Mitrovica. l stayed in the hospital in Sremska Mitrovica
until201
h November 1991.
1 can say that 17 people from Lovas died on the mine field, among them I can recall Marko
and lva Sabljak, Sabljak Tomo, the Panjik brothers, 1vo Palijan, Mijo Salaj, Mato Hodak,
Pero Badnjak, Marko Vidié, Nikola Badanjak, Markovié, I cannot recall his name, Slavko
Strangarevié and others whose exact information only my btrother-in-law can give, who
was in the group that buried them later in a mass grave in Lovas cemetery.
From the persons who took us to the minefield I could not recognize anyone, but only what
I beard that there were the already mentioned Rendulié and K.resojevié and the mentioned
captain Dragan, whom 1 saw from a distance.
Later 1 heard that they took us to the minefield because on the first day of the attack on
Lovas not enough people were killed.
For our taking to the mine field 1 consider Ljuban Devetak the chief commander in Lovas
to be responsible, Miéo Devèié, the commander of the police, Milan Radojèié and Radovan
Tepavac, who signed us in for the forced labour, which means that they had a greater role
and f)uro Prodanovié, who was the chief representative of the municipal authorities.
At the hospital in Sremska Mitrovica Dr Vladimir Basarièek treated me kindly 1 later
beard that he was a Croat. When 1 was released from the hospital, I was allowed to stay at
home un til 23 rd December 19911, but every day 1 went on crutches to Dr Kaèar' s to dress
mywounds.
When I came home, on the 81
h day a policeman Dorde lvkovié came together with two
Serbo-Chetniks who interrogated me about the condition in the village and relationships,
that is about the alleged responsibility of sorne Croats.
On 23rd December 1991 around 14.00 hrs when I was at Emanuel Filié's, Radovan Tepavac
came wearing a police uniform and arrested Emanuel Filié and took him to prison which
was in the municipality building in the cellar. Then I saw when 1 was going home on
crutches, the Serbo-Chetniks taking Filip Durek, Zvonko Balié, Vjekoslav Balié and Slavko
Lukié to prison by car. When l came home, I decided to report to the police, but in the
meantime, two unknowrt Serbo-Chetniks came into my bouse and took me to the
municipality, from where Radovan Tepavac, who was wearing a police uniform, took me to
the prison. About 14 people stayed over the first night in that prison, and in the meantime
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Petar Sabljak, Andelko Filié and Berislav, Zvonko Pejak, Ivica Bogat and others were
brought in.
In the evening of 241
h December 1991, the Serbo-Chetniks began torturing us. Vjekoslav
Balié, Mato Madarevié and Emanuel Filié Were taken for separate interrogation to the
police, and there was Duka Radocaj; and they were fiercely molested and tortured there and
they were told that they would be killed.
In the mentioned cellar sorne unknown men tortured us, and sorne said that they were from
Knin. They beat us· with butt-ends, chains, wooden bats and they were kicking us. They
even put knives against our tbroats. This tor1;uring lasted the whole night. 1 only managed to
see that Radovan Tepavac from Lovas, who 1 know weil, come and beat us for a while.
On Christmas day they did not beat us. In the evening they let us go and we could go home,
and allegedly, sorne commander of the police from Ilok let us go, and they told us that the
next day, on 261
h December 1991, we would be taken on a busto Bijeljina. ln the morning
about 50 of us from Lovas got on the bus, ali Çroats, but they did not take us to Bijeljina,
but they let" us go in Sid and told us togo to Kljujié's and "Fuck him".
We managed somehow in Sid and we paid for a busto Tuzla, from where we left to Zagreb.
During the stay in the occupied Lovas·1991, 1 beard that the Serbo-Chetriiks interrogated
the. women, who were then tortured and raped, but I do not have any concrete information
on that, that is, I do not know who did that.
Of the other crimes that the Serbo-Chetniks· did in Lovas, 1 beard about the murder of
Slavica Pavosevié, Jozefina and Marijana, who were murdered in the ceUar of their bouse,
and about the murder of Ankica Lemunovié who was also killed in the cellar of her bouse.
About the murder of Stipe Luketié, who was murdered when going out from the village to
Vukovar. About the murder of Marija Fiser, who was · murdered in the garage of Ivica
Krizmanié, and about the murders of Doko and Alojz Krizmanié, Pero and Duka Luketié,
Joja Rendulié, Rudolf Jonak, Katica and Marin Balic and about the murders of many others
wh ose nam es_ I cannot recall, and who were murdered by the Serbo-Chetniks in October
and November 1991, but I did not hear concerning any of these cases who did it.
When I came to Zagreb, 1 went to a doctor, because I was ali beaten up, where 1 was given
a check up. Recause of the physical injuries and because ofwhat I went through, I acquired,
in the meantime, a status of a Croatian war military invalid with the permanent physical
invalidity of 30%. ·
1 enclose to this statement my own handwritten statement that I recently gave to the
municipality authorities in Lovas with the centre in Durdevac.
1 have listened to the dictation of the statement so that there is no need for its reading, and I
sign it. ·
Done at 1?.15 hrs.
Statement was taken by authorized official person: Drazen Tirié
· Statement was given by: Stjepan Peulié
Written testimony of Witness Stjepan Peulić *