BELGRADE: WHO KILLED IVAN STAMBOLIC?

BELGRADE, Jan 29 (Hina) - A former Serbian president, Ivan Stambolic, was killed immediately after he was kidnapped in August 2000, Serbian businessman Ljubisa Buha a.k.a. Cume, who left the country after an attempt was made on his life, told Belgrade's "Blic" daily. #L# Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, a former head of the state security service, Radomir Markovic, and a former commander of units for special operations, the so-called Red Berets, Milorad Lukovic Legija, are responsible for Stambolic's abduction and murder, Buha said. "Legija told me that Stambolic was liquidated, done with right away. Dusan Spasojevic told me that Stambolic had been killed and buried on the Avala Hill," Buha said. He claims that the abduction operation, carried out in August 2000, involved five Red Berets and was commanded by Dusan Spasojevic, also suspected of an attempt on the life of Vuk Draskovic in Budva in 1999. Buha claims that "Slobodan Milosevic and Rade Markovic were always consulted about all killings," and that Stambolic had been abducted in the same van which was later used in Milosevic's arrest in Belgrade's residential area Dedinje in 2001. Buha also said that he was willing to return to Serbia and testify about his recent statements, accusing a number of people of abduction, murder and other criminal acts. Serbian Premier Zoran Djindjic said that these allegations would be looked into. (hina) rml sb