SARAJEVO, Aug 12 (Hina) - Bosnia-Herzegovina's anti-terrorism team has launched a probe which should show if an attempt was made on the life of Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija earlier this month, the Banja Luka-based Nezavisne
Novine daily said on Monday.
SARAJEVO, Aug 12 (Hina) - Bosnia-Herzegovina's anti-terrorism team
has launched a probe which should show if an attempt was made on the
life of Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija earlier this month, the
Banja Luka-based Nezavisne Novine daily said on Monday. #L#
Lagumdzija and his associates were driving from Sarajevo to Tuzla
in two cars of which one had three screws on the first left wheel
completely loosened, while the other two were only partially
tightened.
The newspaper's source at the Foreign Ministry explained that a
preliminary investigation established that the screws could have
been loosened only at the parking lot in front of the ministry
building, which is located in Sarajevo's very centre and is under
round-the-clock police supervision.
It is believed the job was done by professionals as the wheel was
supposed to fall off when the car reached the speed of 80km/h, which
would have proved fatal.
After Lagumdzija's associates noticed something was amiss, they
contacted Sarajevo to send another car, but it was soon established
that a similar sabotage had been done on the second vehicle too.
Police found the case particularly suspicious as it was the second
such occurrence in only a month. The first happened when Lagumdzija
visited Herzegovina in July.
All Bosnian Foreign Ministry vehicles are repaired at Autocentar
Quatro in Sarajevo, including the two cars used by Lagumdzija. This
fact led the Interior Ministry and local police to focus on this
firm, probably also due to the fact that its owner is Bakir
Alispahic.
A former interior minister, Alispahic has been in custody for the
last three months on charges alleging espionage and terrorism. He
and four ex-employees of a Bosnian secret service are suspected of
having collaborated with an Iranian secret service and helped open
a terrorists training camp in Bosnia.
It is assumed Lagumdzija has been the victim of an attempted
assassination because he directly contributed to the arrest of
Alispahic and the other four.
Autocentar Quatro director Mirsad Siljak resolutely dismissed such
speculations.
(hina) ha