BUGGING DEVICES IN DRASKOVIC'S BELGRADE FLAT TO BE REMOVED PUBLICLY

BELGRADE, April 15 (Hina) - The Serbian government decided on Thursday to remove all bugging devices from the flat of Serbian Revival Movement leader Vuk Draskovic and the party's premises in Belgrade.#L# The decision was made at the suggestion of the director of the Security and Information Agency (BIA), Rade Bulatovic. The bugging devices will be removed from the flat on April 21 and from the party's premises on the 25th, in accordance with a Belgrade Municipal Court decision of 12 December 2001, in the presence of the public, the government said in a statement. The government exempted the BIA and its staff who will carry out the court's decision from the obligation to keep a state secret. The statement said the BIA was not obliged to remove the devices publicly but opted for it because it wished to honour the principles of constitutionality, lawfulness and professionalism. The December 2001 court decision has not been executed yet because Draskovic demanded that the devices, planted under the Slobodan Milosevic regime, be removed in the presence of the public, which the BIA refused until now. Under the Milosevic regime, Draskovic, for years the leader of the strongest opposition party, was tailed, had his phones tapped, and survived two attempts against his life. (Hina) ha