"Kovačević offered plea-bargain"

The U.S. prosecution has allegedly offered Miladin Kovacevic a 12-year prison term if he pleads guilty. Daily Vecernje Novosti has learnt from sources in Serbia’s Ministry of Justice that the offer was made by the prosecutor in Bloom County, New York state. "Kovacevic offered plea-bargain" He is offering Kovacevic a document to sign that would reduce his sentence. The offer states that the runaway Serbian student would be sentenced to 10 years in prison for inflicting grievous bodily harm and two more years for “contempt of court” for fleeing the country. Kovacevic’s lawyer Veselin Cerovic confirmed that an offer had been made, of which he had been informed by a colleague from the U.S. who has joined the Serbian student’s defense team. "I am appalled with the arrogance of the prosecutor, as is the Kovacevic family,” he said, adding that it was preposterous that such an offer had been made, when no guilt had been proven. “This is only further proof that Kovacevic’s trial in America would not have been fair, and that he was right in evading trial over there,” said Cerovic. He said that neither he nor the Kovacevic family had asked for a deal, while the other side had been trying its best the whole time to persuade Kovacevic to return to New York, by initially offering a reduced sentence of six months in prison. “Not even then, when we received such an offer, did we consider it… Miladin Kovacevic will never return to be tried by such zealous justice dealers. That’s precisely what he escaped from,” the lawyer said, adding that Kovacevic was not hiding from the Serbian courts. “If the Americans respect the sovereignty of the Serbian legal system, why won’t they accept that?” he wondered.

"Kovačević offered plea-bargain"

He is offering Kovačević a document to sign that would reduce his sentence. The offer states that the runaway Serbian student would be sentenced to 10 years in prison for inflicting grievous bodily harm and two more years for “contempt of court” for fleeing the country.

Kovačević’s lawyer Veselin Cerović confirmed that an offer had been made, of which he had been informed by a colleague from the U.S. who has joined the Serbian student’s defense team.

"I am appalled with the arrogance of the prosecutor, as is the Kovačević family,” he said, adding that it was preposterous that such an offer had been made, when no guilt had been proven. “This is only further proof that Kovačević’s trial in America would not have been fair, and that he was right in evading trial over there,” said Cerović.

He said that neither he nor the Kovačević family had asked for a deal, while the other side had been trying its best the whole time to persuade Kovačević to return to New York, by initially offering a reduced sentence of six months in prison.

“Not even then, when we received such an offer, did we consider it… Miladin Kovačević will never return to be tried by such zealous justice dealers. That’s precisely what he escaped from,” the lawyer said, adding that Kovačević was not hiding from the Serbian courts. “If the Americans respect the sovereignty of the Serbian legal system, why won’t they accept that?” he wondered.