After the defense completed the cross-examination of former OTP investigator Ari Kerkannen, the trial was adjourned until further notice because the accused is ill


Milan Martic didn't show up in court yesterday and today. Reasons for his absence were discussed in closed session. When the cross-examination of prosecution witness Ari Kerkannen was completed, the Trial Chamber said the trial would be adjourned until further notice because of the accused was ill. The Chamber will agree with the parties about the date when the trial will resume.

Ari Kerkannen's cross-examination was much longer than his examination-in-chief, as has been the case with many witnesses before him. It was interrupted many times by the prosecutor's objections and interventions by the Trial Chamber because the defense counsel kept misinterpreting the witness's testimony and lack of relevance of his questions.

The defense didn't challenge the authenticity of almost 300 documents Kerkannen gathered in the field while he worked as an OTP investigator from 2002 to 2005 that were now tendered into evidence by the prosecution. However, Martic's defense counsel did try to challenge the conclusions in the report Kerkannen made on the basis of those document.

He objected to the fact that the former investigator had not included the information about "the weapons and military strength of the other side". Kerkannen responded by saying that it had been his task to gather documents about Martic's role in the crimes in Krajina, not about the military strength of the Croatian side. Other OTP investigators dealt with that, he said.

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