KISELJAK, Nov 8 (Hina) - Jadranko Lucic, a suspect in the 1999 assassination of the Bosnian federal Deputy Interior Minister Jozo Leutar, was released from custody on Wednesday. Two days ago Lucic turned voluntarily himself in to a
judge of the Sarajevo-based cantonal court. He was set free on Wednesday after a protected witness of the prosecution stated that he had never in his life seen Lucic, Lucic's lawyer, Stjepan Vukadin, told Hina on Wednesday evening. On Monday the investigating judge Vladimir Spoljaric ruled that Lucic should remain in custody 30 days, and following the witness's failure to recognise him as the direct assassin, the judge decided on the release. Lucic has so far been the fifth person believed to be implicated in the Leutar case whose identity has been made public. Another four persons - Zoran Basic, Zeljko Cosic, Dominik Ilijasevic and Ivan
KISELJAK, Nov 8 (Hina) - Jadranko Lucic, a suspect in the 1999
assassination of the Bosnian federal Deputy Interior Minister Jozo
Leutar, was released from custody on Wednesday.
Two days ago Lucic turned voluntarily himself in to a judge of the
Sarajevo-based cantonal court.
He was set free on Wednesday after a protected witness of the
prosecution stated that he had never in his life seen Lucic, Lucic's
lawyer, Stjepan Vukadin, told Hina on Wednesday evening.
On Monday the investigating judge Vladimir Spoljaric ruled that
Lucic should remain in custody 30 days, and following the witness's
failure to recognise him as the direct assassin, the judge decided
on the release.
Lucic has so far been the fifth person believed to be implicated in
the Leutar case whose identity has been made public.
Another four persons - Zoran Basic, Zeljko Cosic, Dominik
Ilijasevic and Ivan Andabak - are detained. Zoran Basic the third on
the indictment list, Zeljko Cosic the fourth on the list and Dominik
Ilijasevic the second on that list were apprehended in Bosnia. The
prime suspect in Leutar's murder - Ivan Andabak - was apprehended
about two months ago in Croatia but he was arrested for another
crime.
According to the cantonal court's decision on launching an
investigation into Leutar's murder, which happened in the mid-
March 1999 in Sarajevo, Jadranko Lucic (aged 32) was suspected of
having activated a bomb in the car in which Leutar was being driven.
Leutar, who was sitting at the place by the driver, sustained grave
injuries and died twelve days after the explosion of the car-bomb.
On Monday Lucic said he learnt of his indictment by chance. He told
reporters that he had never received summons nor did he know of any
warrant issued for his arrest.
Asked about the continuation of the process for suspects in
Leutar's killing in the wake of Lucic's release, his defence layer
Vukadin said he believed the prosecution would now encounter big
problems as the key person in the entire case - a suspect who
directly carried out the assassination - was not discovered.
(hina) ms