Mystery still surrounding Karadžić’s bag

The circumstances surrounding Radovan Karadzic bag, which was discovered on Tuesday, have yet to be fully cleared up. However, the Action Team is in no doubt that the bag, which was found lying next to the Batajnica road, was placed their directly before the tip-off was received. Mystery still surrounding Karadzic’s bag President of the National Council for Hague Cooperation Rasim Ljajic said that Karadzic’s legal representatives had declined to pick up the laptop yesterday, with lawyer Svetozar Vujacic said wanting to have an expert come in to see whether a virus had been inserted into the computer or if anything had been changed. While the entire mystery surrounding the laptop has yet to be cleared up, at least one detail has been resolved. Ljajic said that the bag had not been at the location—an abandoned police house on the Batajnica Road—where it was discovered the entire time, adding that it had been brought there just before the police were called. “I cannot tell you more than what was stated in public, except to clear up one thing that was being rumored in all the media, and that is that the bag had been there 20-odd days—had there been any rain in that period, had any damage been done to the laptop? The bag was obviously not in that location for 20-odd days, but was placed there directly before the authorities were called to pick it up,” he said. The president of the Action Team said that Karadzic’s lawyers had been given most of the things found in Karadzic’s flat after his arrest, but that they had refused to take the laptop and the 55 discs, which reportedly contain the former Bosnian Serb leader’s defense. Ljajic confirmed that Hague Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz would visit Belgrade some time between September 7-9, adding that Serbia expected a positive cooperation report from him. “We expect Brammertz to repeat what he said at the press conference after the arrest of Radovan Karadzic—that this is a turning point in Serbia’s relations with the Tribunal, and absolute proof of Serbia’s readiness to honor its remaining obligations, and we believe that such a statement will be adequately valued, especially in Brussels,” he said. The European Union’s decision on whether to unfreeze the temporary trade agreement with Serbia in September will depend on Brammertz’s report. Radovan Karadzic (FoNet, archive)

Mystery still surrounding Karadžić’s bag

President of the National Council for Hague Cooperation Rasim Ljajić said that Karadžić’s legal representatives had declined to pick up the laptop yesterday, with lawyer Svetozar Vujačić said wanting to have an expert come in to see whether a virus had been inserted into the computer or if anything had been changed.

While the entire mystery surrounding the laptop has yet to be cleared up, at least one detail has been resolved.

Ljajić said that the bag had not been at the location—an abandoned police house on the Batajnica Road—where it was discovered the entire time, adding that it had been brought there just before the police were called.

“I cannot tell you more than what was stated in public, except to clear up one thing that was being rumored in all the media, and that is that the bag had been there 20-odd days—had there been any rain in that period, had any damage been done to the laptop? The bag was obviously not in that location for 20-odd days, but was placed there directly before the authorities were called to pick it up,” he said.

The president of the Action Team said that Karadžić’s lawyers had been given most of the things found in Karadžić’s flat after his arrest, but that they had refused to take the laptop and the 55 discs, which reportedly contain the former Bosnian Serb leader’s defense.

Ljajić confirmed that Hague Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz would visit Belgrade some time between September 7-9, adding that Serbia expected a positive cooperation report from him.

“We expect Brammertz to repeat what he said at the press conference after the arrest of Radovan Karadžić—that this is a turning point in Serbia’s relations with the Tribunal, and absolute proof of Serbia’s readiness to honor its remaining obligations, and we believe that such a statement will be adequately valued, especially in Brussels,” he said.

The European Union’s decision on whether to unfreeze the temporary trade agreement with Serbia in September will depend on Brammertz’s report.