A Bosnian Serb former policeman arrested last week by the Nato-led force in Bosnia-Hercegovina has pleaded not guilty to war crimes.

The United Nations court in The Hague heard that the man, Molijica Kos, was a commandant at the Omarska camp for Croat and Muslim prisoners near Prijedor in north-west Bosnia.

He faces eleven charges.

The indictment read out at the hearing of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia said he commanded guards at the camp who regularly and openly killed, raped, tortured and beat prisoners -- and that he knew, or had reason to know, what was going on.

Three other suspects linked to atrocities at the camp are already in custody in The Hague awaiting trial.