Ex-interior minister testifies at Ibarska trial

Former IM Dusan Mihajlovic says the Ibarska highway murder case was solved and the perpetrators uncovered soon after he assumed the post in early 2001. Mihajlovic told the Supreme Court that he had been faced with a large number of unsolved cases with political backgrounds upon entering office. Ex-interior minister testifies at Ibarska trial The former interior minister said that for this reason it had been decided to give absolute priority to the Ibarska case, the murder of journalist Slavko Curuvija, and the disappearance of former Serbian President Ivan Stambolic. At a meeting with members of Public Security (JB) and State Security (DB), JB operatives that were working on those cases told him that they were unhappy at coming up against the “iron doors of DB,” he recalled. “After cooperation was agreed between the two departments at that meeting, I was informed very soon after that the Ibarska case had been solved, and the suspects processed," the former interior minister said. “Two Special Operations Unit (JSO) members admitted to that crime. I think that conscience was an important factor, and that they confessed to the crimes under that burden,” surmised Mihajlovic. Defendant Radomir Markovic’s defense counsel, Dusan Masic, complained that the media was reporting on the course of the trial in a vindictive and inaccurate manner. Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) officials Dragan Vusurovic, Zvonko Osmajlic and Vucko Rakocevic were killed in a staged accident on the Ibarska highway on October 3, 1999.

Ex-interior minister testifies at Ibarska trial

The former interior minister said that for this reason it had been decided to give absolute priority to the Ibarska case, the murder of journalist Slavko Ćuruvija, and the disappearance of former Serbian President Ivan Stambolić.

At a meeting with members of Public Security (JB) and State Security (DB), JB operatives that were working on those cases told him that they were unhappy at coming up against the “iron doors of DB,” he recalled.

“After cooperation was agreed between the two departments at that meeting, I was informed very soon after that the Ibarska case had been solved, and the suspects processed," the former interior minister said.

“Two Special Operations Unit (JSO) members admitted to that crime. I think that conscience was an important factor, and that they confessed to the crimes under that burden,” surmised Mihajlović.

Defendant Radomir Marković’s defense counsel, Dušan Mašić, complained that the media was reporting on the course of the trial in a vindictive and inaccurate manner.

Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) officials Dragan Vušurović, Zvonko Osmajlić and Vučko Rakočević were killed in a staged accident on the Ibarska highway on October 3, 1999.