Nine top former Montenegrin police officials went on trial on Thursday, charged with war crimes for their role in 1992 illegal deportation of 79 Bosnian civilians back to their homeland after fleeing the civil war there.

The defendants included two fomer deputy interior ministers at the time, who were accused of - illegal deportation of both Muslim and Serb civilians, citizens of Bosnia, who had a refugee status. -

Two out of four defendants present in the courtroom pleaded not guilty, denying any knowledge of the deportations. The other two will enter their plea on December 3, when the trial resumes.

The remaining five would be tried in absentia.

Testifying in the probe, Montenegrin veteran Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, who was also then in office, said his "government has never agreed" with the deportation and that the police officials - easily and without consultations - responded to the Bosnian Serbs' request.

The civilians were arrested in several Montenegrin towns and deported in early 1992 after they had fled the war in Bosnia. The refugees were handed over to Bosnian Serb forces and most were subsequently killed.

At least nine of those deported were imprisoned by the Bosnian Serb forces during the 1992-1995 war and survived detention.

They sued the state of Montenegro in 2004 together with families of other victims.

Montenegro's government decided last year to compensate victims of deportations and members of their families with a total amount of 4.1 million euros (6.1 million dollars).