ZAGREB, Sept 29 (Hina) - Sibenik County Court issued an order late Sunday night withdrawing a warrant for the arrest of Lieutenant Colonel Mile Novakovic of the Serbia-Montenegro army because of indications that it was the case of
mistaken identity, Croatian television (HTV) reported.
ZAGREB, Sept 29 (Hina) - Sibenik County Court issued an order late
Sunday night withdrawing a warrant for the arrest of Lieutenant
Colonel Mile Novakovic of the Serbia-Montenegro army because of
indications that it was the case of mistaken identity, Croatian
television (HTV) reported. #L#
Novakovic was arrested in Macedonia last Thursday on the basis of an
arrest warrant issued by the Croatian office of Interpol as a person
sentenced in absentia in Croatia to 20 years in prison for war
crimes against civilians.
The court explained its decision by saying that it had requested a
renewal of proceedings, spokeswoman for the Croatian Ministry of
the Interior Zinka Bardic told HTV on Sunday.
HTV said that a panel of judges would meet on Monday in the
Macedonian town of Kumanovo, where Novakovic is being held in
extradition custody, and that the detainee would be released
because he had been misidentified.
It has been found out that there are two persons of the same name and
the same year of birth who were both officers of the Serb rebel army
in Croatia during the 1990s war. One held the rank of general and the
other was lieutenant colonel.
In 1995, Sibenik County Court sentenced Lieutenant Colonel Mile
Novakovic in absentia to 20 years' imprisonment, thinking that it
was actually sentencing General Mile Novakovic, HTV said.
Commenting on the newly-arisen situation, Justice Minister Ingrid
Anticevic Marinovic said that this kind of mistake was possible in
cases when the accused were tried in absence.
(hina) vm