Serbian ‘war criminal’ has lived in Sydney for over 25 years

Alleged Serbian war criminal, accused of killing dozens of civilians in one of Croatia’s worst massacres has lived in Sydney for over 25 years.

Zoran Tadic (C top row) with members of his brigade. Picture: Suppled.

An alleged Serbian war criminal, accused of killing dozens of innocent civilians including women in one of Croatia’s worst massacres has been living in suburban Sydney for more than 25 years.

Yesterday Croatian police announced war crimes charges against the man, 59-year-old Zoran Tadic for the murder of 43 people, of which 30 were civilians and 13 were soldiers. They were slaughtered in 1991 in the Croatian village of Skabrnja. The mass killing took place on the same day as the north-eastern Croatian city of Vukovar fell after two months of fierce fights, resulting in the murder of 260 civilians and war prisoners.

Investigators said Mr Tadic, then aged 32, and his men entered Škabrnja at 7.30 in the morning of November 18, 1991, where they “broke the resistance of the defenders and then mass destroyed residential, commercial and sanctuary facilities. Tanks and armed convoys then arrived around 11.30am’’.

Mr Tadic is accused of forcing the withdrawal of the civil population who didn’t pose any danger.

He is alleged to have been directly involved in rounding up 30 people: 20 men and 10 women aged between 23 and 88, who were killed with shots to the head, neck and chest after being physically abused and insulted. Another 13 soldiers who were defending the village were beaten and tortured, including having their ears hacked off, before being killed.

Every year the killings in the two locations are commemorated with state ceremonies.

The head of Criminal Police Office in Croatia, Bore Mrsic said that due to a scale of the Skabrnja case: “This is the most important war crimes investigation in this area’’.

The Croatian police said Mr Tadic has been living in Sydney after obtaining Australian residency in August 1992 with the assistance of Serbian officials.

While the Croatian police have filed an official charge request against Mr Tadic to the State Attorney in Split, they are yet to request assistance to arrest him.

Zoran Tadic (C) with two other Serbian soldiers.

Croatian Police spokesperson Ivana Grbin said it has been determined that Mr Tadic lives in Sydney and is currently “unavailable’’ to Croatian authorities.

“It is still too early to talk about extradition request, or Mr Tadic’s exact whereabouts,’’ Ms Grbin said.

In a press conference in Croatia yesterday investigators from the War Crimes Unit in Zadar said they had painstakingly put together a file of evidence against Mr Tadic and they have officially charged him with war crimes under the Geneva Convention including criminal offences against civilians and crimes against prisoners of war.

Zoran Tadic (L) with (3rd L in beret) Vojislav Seselj, Serbian politician convicted of war crimes at The Hague.

Investigators said after the massacre Mr Tadic was rewarded by his Belgrade bosses with a promotion to Chief of State Security of the Benkovac Territorial Defense, also known as “Dobrovoljacki vod” to head up a voluntary force from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina around Benkovac in Croatia. He was also given housing in Benkovac that belonged to an expelled Croatian family.

This is the same area in which Australia’s first convicted war criminal, Dragan Vasiljkovic, also known as Captain Dragan operated.

Last year Mr Vasiljkovic was found guilty of war crimes in Knin and Glina committed in 1991 but acquitted of killing two soldiers near Benkovac and sentenced to 13 and a half years jail.

Dragan Ergic, another Serbian man who has been living in Perth, Australia, has denied a war crimes charge in Croatia, specifically the murder and mutilation of farmer’s wife Stevanija Ivkovic, a 52-year-old from Ivkovici. The Australian reported last year that this sleepy Croatian hamlet was wiped out when seven people including Mrs Ivkovic were murdered and others fled in 1991 and 1992.

Mr Ergic’s lawyer Sladjana Cankovic told The Australian that Croatian authorities had still not issued an extradition request.

“We are still waiting for State Attorney Office and court to confirm the charge. We expected it would happen this Spring, but it seems we will have to wait for some more time,’’ she said.’ “No other move has been made toward the Australian authorities.’’