“Army knew who murdered soldiers”

Bozo Prelevic, who headed an independent commission probe into the so-called Topcider case, today commented on the latest developments. Prelevic says that he is certain that the military, at that time Yugoslav Army (VJ) knows who is responsible for the 2004 deaths of two Guardsmen in the Topcider, Belgrade, barracks. “Army knew who murdered soldiers” Four years after the incident, and following many investigations conducted both by domestic and foreign experts, it is still unknown who killed Dragan Jakovljevic and Drazen Milovanovic. Last month, an FBI report stated that the soldiers had been killed by a third person. An official military commission set up at the time maintained that the pair died in a murder-suicide incident, but the independent group of experts, headed by Prelevic, rejected this all along. Following the FBI report Belgrade’s District Court ordered new hearings. Former Defense Minister Prvoslav Davinic and Prelevic spoke for B92 TV and said that they believed the court would resolve the case. Prelevic said that he had evidence that proves the military court’s investigation was false. According to that probe, soldier Jakovljevic killed Milovanovic before taking his own life. Another version that the army offered later only reversed their roles. “I’m sure that they [the Army] know what happened and that they know who the killer is. If you look at the District Court’s findings you’ll see that chiefly those disputed coroner’s reports dominate,” Prelevic said. Davinic, who was the defense chief at the time, said that he had done "all in his power to solve that case". He went on to say that he does not feel any responsibility, "because at that time, the Army was not under the jurisdiction of the Defense Ministry". However, Davinic said that he believes the investigation would bring "certain results". “I still think that we must have faith in the judicial bodies,” he said, adding that if that trust were lost, "the entire judicial system would be jeopardized". "I don’t know why nothing has been done so far, but I believe that there will be a solution, perhaps it will not be determined who and how did it, but at least the court’s position would be clear,” Davinic added. In the meantime, the parents of the murdered soldiers do not believe that new hearings will bring the truth to light. They maintain that the two soldiers were murdered because they saw Hague fugitive Ratko Mladic. Davinic reiterated that there was no proof that Mladic was in the Topcider barracks, but said that three days prior to the murders, Carla Del Ponte – then chief Hague prosecutor – asked that the matter be investigated. That probe determined that Mladic was not hiding in the Topcider barracks, Davinic said.

“Army knew who murdered soldiers”

Four years after the incident, and following many investigations conducted both by domestic and foreign experts, it is still unknown who killed Dragan Jakovljević and Dražen Milovanović.

Last month, an FBI report stated that the soldiers had been killed by a third person.

An official military commission set up at the time maintained that the pair died in a murder-suicide incident, but the independent group of experts, headed by Prelević, rejected this all along.

Following the FBI report Belgrade’s District Court ordered new hearings.

Former Defense Minister Prvoslav Davinić and Prelević spoke for B92 TV and said that they believed the court would resolve the case.

Prelević said that he had evidence that proves the military court’s investigation was false. According to that probe, soldier Jakovljević killed Milovanović before taking his own life. Another version that the army offered later only reversed their roles.

“I’m sure that they [the Army] know what happened and that they know who the killer is. If you look at the District Court’s findings you’ll see that chiefly those disputed coroner’s reports dominate,” Prelević said.

Davinić, who was the defense chief at the time, said that he had done "all in his power to solve that case".

He went on to say that he does not feel any responsibility, "because at that time, the Army was not under the jurisdiction of the Defense Ministry".

However, Davinić said that he believes the investigation would bring "certain results".

“I still think that we must have faith in the judicial bodies,” he said, adding that if that trust were lost, "the entire judicial system would be jeopardized".

"I don’t know why nothing has been done so far, but I believe that there will be a solution, perhaps it will not be determined who and how did it, but at least the court’s position would be clear,” Davinić added.

In the meantime, the parents of the murdered soldiers do not believe that new hearings will bring the truth to light.

They maintain that the two soldiers were murdered because they saw Hague fugitive Ratko Mladić.

Davinić reiterated that there was no proof that Mladić was in the Topčider barracks, but said that three days prior to the murders, Carla Del Ponte – then chief Hague prosecutor – asked that the matter be investigated.

That probe determined that Mladić was not hiding in the Topčider barracks, Davinić said.