ZAGREB, Oct 4 (Hina) - The Zagreb County Court on Friday sentenced Marko Nikolic to 30 and Samir Ivosevic to 20 years in prison for the murder of Vjeko Slisko, while Slisko's bodyguard Ivica Bertic was given a nine-year sentence for
the murder of Slisko's assassin James Cappau.
ZAGREB, Oct 4 (Hina) - The Zagreb County Court on Friday sentenced
Marko Nikolic to 30 and Samir Ivosevic to 20 years in prison for the
murder of Vjeko Slisko, while Slisko's bodyguard Ivica Bertic was
given a nine-year sentence for the murder of Slisko's assassin
James Cappau. #L#
Explaining the verdict, panel of judges president Ranko Marijan
outlined the chronology of the 22 March 2001 mafia clash in downtown
Zagreb, when the alleged boss of one of the capital's mob clans,
Slisko, was shot dead, and his assassin Cappau shortly later.
The Slisko murder had been planned for two years when Nikolic, who
was sentenced in absentia, at the request "of an as yet unknown
person" in the Netherlands arranged the assassination with long-
time acquaintance Cappau.
Cappau, a Belgian professional soldier and Croatian army volunteer
during the Homeland War, was to have received DEM200,000 for the
killing, including DEM80,000 advanced by Nikolic.
Ivosevic, who was supposed to watch Slisko's movements, was to have
been paid DEM5,000.
After months of stalking and a precisely determined method of
assassination, Cappau killed Slisko in the centre of Zagreb between
one and two pm on 22 March 2001, with assistance from Nikolic and
Ivosevic. Slisko's bodyguard Bertic killed Cappau shortly
afterwards. Ivosevic and Nikolic fled the scene. The latter is
still at large.
During the trial, which took almost eight months, more than 100
witnesses were interrogated as well as several experts, Slisko's
body was exhumed and autopsied for a second time, and the
Netherlands was requested for legal assistance.
(hina) ha sb