Presenting his defence before the Zagreb County Court, Djurovic said that he was being prosecuted for petty political reasons and that the indictment against him did not contain any solid evidence.
The indictment is based on false stories of a weak-minded man who wanted to buy his freedom and acted on instructions from USKOK (the agency investigating organised crime and corruption)," Djurovic said referring to key witness Tomislav Marjanovic.
The defendant said that he had had no motive to participate in "this dirty deal", describing himself as a successful businessman.
Admitting that he had "close friendly relations" with Jocic, Djurovic said that he was not involved in any business deals with Jocic.
Pukanic and his business associate Niko Franjic were killed in the explosion of a bomb attached to a scooter parked by Pukanic's car outside the Nacional building in Zagreb on 23 October 2008. Franjic was a collateral victim.
Djurovic, as well as the other defendants in the trial in Zagreb -- Robert Matanic, Luka Matanic, Amir Mafalani and Bojan Guduric -- pleaded not guilty.
Jocic, who is charged with having paid EUR 1.5 million for Pukanic's murder, Zeljko Milovanovic and Milenko Kuzmanovic are being tried for the assassination by a Belgrade court.