THE NIGHTMARE IS OVER = NOĆNA MORA JE GOTOVA, PROŠLA JE, Boutique Villager 27 svibnja 1982.

Mile Boban of Hillsborough, his wife, Annie and son mile can once again resume their family life in Hillsborough now that mile Boban has been acquitted of terrorist charges against fellow Croatians living in America.

Boban Never gave Up Hope
By Sherry Posnick

Mile Boban says he never gave up hope durnig the past year that he would be found not guilty of charges that he plotted bombings, murders and extortion against fellow Croatians living in America.

“I was shocked, I couldn’t believe my own ears when I heard the foreman say not guilty,” he recalled. “My attorney turned toward me, kissed me, started crying and said, “Thanks to God, you are a free man.”

“It was very difficult not to give up hope”, said Boban, interviewed in his Hillsborough home. “In my country they say that tow men without soul tell lies, so a third man will be without a head,” he said, sliding his index finger across his throat for emphasis. “Basically the trial was gossip, words against words. They didn’t have any physical evidence against us.”

The not-guilty verdict was returned by a federal jury in New York after a three month trial. Boban was tried along with nine other Croatians accused of being responsible for two murders, four unsuccessful murders, more than 50 acts of extortion, three cases of arson, four arson plots and interstate transportation of explosives.

Boban maintains that the Yugoslavian secret police are behind all of the allegations.

Boban, who is North American president of the Croatian national resistance OTPOR, was found not guilty along with three other defendents. The resistance movement supports Croatia’s independence from Yugoslavia.
Boban said he is not bitter about his ordeal, despite the fact that he is “broke,” after spending over $2000,000 in legal fees.
“I never was angry,” he said. “Somehow I had confidence in myself and i didn’t take the trial seriously”.
“Financially, we are completely broke, but in spirit we are very strong,” he said. “Why? Because the innocent ruling from the US Court gave us that strength. Now it’s only a matter of time before we resume our routine with family and business.”

Boban, 42, said his building contract business was doing well prior to his arrest last summer, and that he is fortunate because he will not have to declare bankruptcy.
The trial, while tough on the family budget, also was difficult on the nerves. Boban, the father of six children, said that his sons were to young to understand.

His daughters, however, received notes from some of their friends saying they could not longer remain friends.
There were many friends and neighbors who stood by the Bobans. “Most trusted us,” said Boban. “They gave us courage and helped the 10-month agony. I appreciate them and will never forget them. In hard times, you find out who your friends are.”

With the nightmare behind him, Boban says he will resume his goal of preserving Croatian history and teaching the younger generation about their ancestors.

He also looks forward to using his “rusty tools” by starting his business again from scratch.

“It is time to forget what happend and close the book of the past,” he said. “It’s time now to open the book of the future.”

            Translated in Croatian – Prijevod na hrvatski

                        NOĆNA MORA JE GOTOVA – PROŠLA JE
Mile Boban iz Hillsborougha, (južno od San Francisca, mo. Mile.) njegova supruga, Annie i sin Mile mogu ponovno nastaviti svoj obiteljski život u Hillsboroughu sada kada je Mile Boban oslobođen terorističkih napada protiv sunarodnjaka Hrvata koji žive u Americi.

Boban se nikada nije odrekao nade
Napisala Sherry Posnick

Mile Boban kaže da se nikada nije odrekao nade tijekom protekle godine da će biti proglašen nevinim za bombaške krivnje koji su planirali, za ubojstva i iznudu nad Hrvatima koji žive u Americi.

“Bio sam šokiran, nisam mogao vjerovati vlastitim ušima kad sam čuo kako forman kaže da nije kriv”, prisjetio se. “Moj se advjetnik okrenuo prema meni, poljubio me, počeo plakati i rekao:” Hvala Bogu, ti si sada slobodan čovjek. ”

“Bilo je vrlo teško ne odustati od nade”, rekao je Boban, u intervju u svojoj kući u Hillsboroughu. “U mojoj zemlji kažu dva čovjeka bez duše, treći čovjek je bez glave”, rekao je Boban pokazujući kažiprstom preko svoga grla. “U osnovi suđenje je bilo ništa drugo nego tračevi, riječi protiv riječi. Nisu imali nikakvih fizičkih dokaza protiv nas.”

Presudu da nije kriv izrekla je savezna porota u New Yorku nakon tromjesečnog suđenja. Bobanu je suđeno zajedno s još devet Hrvata optuženih da je odgovoran za dva ubojstva, četiri neuspijela ubojstva, više od 50 iznuđivačkih djela, tri slučaja podmetanja požara, četiri pokušaja podmetanja požara i prijevoz eksploziva preko američkih država.

    Boban tvrdi da iza svih optužbi stoji jugoslavenska tajna policija.

Boban, koji je Pročelnik sjeveroameričkog kontinenta Hrvatskog Narodnog OTPOR, proglašen je nevinim zajedno s još trojicom optuženika. (Ivan Mišetić, Chicago, Miro Biošić, Los Angeles, Anđelko Jakić, New York i Mile Boban, San Francisco, mo. Mile.) Pokret Otpora podržava Nezavisnost Hrvatske od Jugoslavije.
Boban je rekao da nije ogorčen na svoje iskušenje i muke, unatoč činjenici da je “financiski upropašten”, nakon što je potrošio više od 2000.000 američkih dolara sudske  troškove.
“Nikad se nisam ljutio”, rekao je. “Nekako sam imao povjerenja u sebe i nisam suđenje shvatio ozbiljno”.
“Financijski smo potpuno uništeni, ali u duhu smo vrlo jaki”, rekao je. “Zašto? Jer nevina presuda američkog suda dala nam je tu snagu. Sad je samo pitanje vremena kada ćemo nastaviti svoju rutinu s obitelji i poslom.”

Boban (42) rekao je da je posao njegove građevinske tvrtke bio vrlo dobar prije uhićenja prošlog ljeta, te da je sretan jer neće morati proglasiti bankropt. (Što znači pasti pod stečaj, mo. Mile.)
Suđenje, iako teško za obiteljski budžet, također je teško palo na živce. Boban, otac šestero djece, rekao je da su njegovi sinovi bili mladi za sve to razumjeti.

Njegove su kćeri, međutim, od svojih prijateljica dobile notu u kojima su rekle da više ne mogu biti prijateljice.
Bilo je mnogo prijatelja i susjeda koji su stajali uz Bonanove. “Većina nam je vjerovala”, rekao je Boban. “Dali su nam hrabrost i pomogli našu desetomjesečnu agoniju. Cijenim ih i nikada ih neću zaboraviti. U teškim vremenima saznate tko su vam prijatelje.”

Budući da je noćna mora iza njega, Boban kaže da će nastaviti svoj cilj očuvanja hrvatske povijesti i podučavanja mlađe generacije o svojim precima.

Također se raduje što će ubrzo moći koristiti svoj “zahrđalih alat” tako što će ponovno započeti svoj građevinski posao od nule.
“Vrijeme je da zaboravimo što se je dogodilo i zatvorimo knjigu prošlosti”, rekao je. “Vrijeme je da otvorimo knjigu budućnosti.”