BELGRADE, April 5 (Hina) - The Serbian Interior Ministry on Thursday pressed charges with the Belgrade State Prosecutor's Office against Marija Milosevic, the daughter of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, and against a
vice-president of Milosevic's Serbian Socialist Party (SPS), Branislav Ivkovic. This continues a series of criminal charges and police arrests of high officials of the Milosevic regime. The police have also charged Marija Milosevic with causing general danger and with the illegal purchase, possession and use of firearms. During last weekend's police operation aimed to arrest her father, three guns were found on Marija Milosevic and she fired five shots while her father was being taken away from his residence. Ivkovic, a member of Milosevic's party, who over the past few weeks was in the limelight because of his role in negotiations on Milosevic's surrender, has been charged with abu
BELGRADE, April 5 (Hina) - The Serbian Interior Ministry on
Thursday pressed charges with the Belgrade State Prosecutor's
Office against Marija Milosevic, the daughter of former Yugoslav
President Slobodan Milosevic, and against a vice-president of
Milosevic's Serbian Socialist Party (SPS), Branislav Ivkovic.
This continues a series of criminal charges and police arrests of
high officials of the Milosevic regime.
The police have also charged Marija Milosevic with causing general
danger and with the illegal purchase, possession and use of
firearms. During last weekend's police operation aimed to arrest
her father, three guns were found on Marija Milosevic and she fired
five shots while her father was being taken away from his
residence.
Ivkovic, a member of Milosevic's party, who over the past few weeks
was in the limelight because of his role in negotiations on
Milosevic's surrender, has been charged with abuse of office. The
media believe the Ministry of Science and Technology, once headed
by Ivkovic, financed Milosevic's party with its funds.
It was expected that Ivkovic could stand in for Milosevic while "he
is in prison," but Milosevic today appointed from his prison cell a
former foreign minister, Zivorad Jovanovic, the party's
'coordinator'. It has already been announced, however, that
Jovanovic, too, will be indicted for having illegally issued
diplomatic passports while he was foreign minister.
It has been reported that the Belgrade County Court today requested
that the Yugoslav parliament strip Nikola Sainovic and Jovan Zebic,
members of Milosevic's party, of immunity. The two men are included
in a joint indictment along with Milosevic and a former customs
administration head, Mihalj Kertes, and are facing charges of
causing damage to the state budget worth DM 800 million in customs
revenues.
Kertes is one of the first former state officials and Milosevic's
close associates to be arrested. However, he has been granted the
right to defend himself without being detained because he has
reportedly agreed to cooperate with investigators.
(hina) sb rml