ZAGREB, Sept 28 (Hina) - Commenting on doubts about the identity of Mile Novakovic, whom Macedonian police arrested based on a warrant of the Croatian Interpol as a person sentenced in Croatia to 20 years' imprisonment for war crimes,
Croatian Justice Minister Ingrid Anticevic-Marinovic said on Saturday "the identity of this person needs to be checked".
ZAGREB, Sept 28 (Hina) - Commenting on doubts about the identity of
Mile Novakovic, whom Macedonian police arrested based on a warrant
of the Croatian Interpol as a person sentenced in Croatia to 20
years' imprisonment for war crimes, Croatian Justice Minister
Ingrid Anticevic-Marinovic said on Saturday "the identity of this
person needs to be checked". #L#
If the arrested man is not the Mile Novakovic, 53, who was sentenced
in absentia by the Sibenik County Court to a 20-year prison term for
war crimes, the minister told NOVA TV over the telephone that one
would have to check if any criminal proceedings had been filed or an
arrest warrant issued for the man arrested in Macedonia.
Macedonian police said on Friday they had arrested a foreign
citizen convicted of war crimes on the border with Serbia the day
before, revealing his initials as M.N. It also said the man had been
placed in 30-day custody in Kumanovo pending extradition.
Interpol's Macedonian office notified the Croatian Justice
Ministry and State Prosecutor's Office about the arrest on Friday.
Deputy Justice Minister Zdravko Stojanovic said on that occasion
that an extradition request was being drawn up to be sent to
Macedonia's authorities.
Serbia-Montenegro Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic on Saturday
voiced his doubts about the identity of the arrested Mile
Novakovic. "It appears to be a case of mistaken identity," he said.
It has been said in Belgrade that the man, a Lt. Col. of the Serbia-
Montenegro Army, is not the person Croatia's Interpol issued a
warrant for.
(hina) ha