“Hague won’t give up on remaining fugitive”

War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic says Serbia finished a big job by arresting Ratko Mladic but that the Hague Tribunal will not give up on Goran Hadzic. The former political leader of Serbs in Croatia is at large, indicted by the court on charges of war crimes. “Hague won’t give up on remaining fugitive” “We have finished a big job but there is still one more name on our list,” he told daily Politika. “The Hague is not going to give up on closing the entire chapter on Serbia’s cooperation with The Hague. Goran Hadzic is at large. This is not a new pressure, that’s an old request. (Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor) Serge Brammertz congratulated me at Brioni and said that he had to write a new report to the UN,” Vukcevic stated. He stressed that the fact that the operation of Mladic’s arrest was conducted away from the eyes of the public had contributed to the success. “It’s interesting that after successful operation there are conspiracy theories that also followed (Radovan) Karadzic’s arrest. The Russians brought him, he used to work at the construction sight, the arrest was staged. It’s a result of a patient and professional work of the Action team and security services,” the war crimes prosecutor was quoted as saying. He repeated that the prosecution would investigate persons who had helped Mladic hide, “especially those who are suspected of doing so within the government structures”. Commenting on request of Mladic’s family that the money seized during a search of their home be returned, Vukcevic said that “helping an immediate family member is not a criminal act”. “It is obvious now that the family was helping Mladic hide since he was located in a house of a close relative. The court will decide on possible return of the seized money and pre-trial proceedings are underway against certain number of persons from the Serbian territory for involvement in killing of prisoners of war in Srebrenica,” he explained. Vladimir Vukcevic (FoNet, file) “Del Ponte should run organ trade investigation” Speaking about an independent investigation into human organ trafficking in Kosovo Vukcevic said that the independent investigation was the best solution “but that EULEX, our and Albanian prosecutions should be involved in it”. “I think that former Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte would be a good choice for an independent investigator because she is a professional, she knows the region, people and circumstances. She opened up the story in public with the allegations in her book,” he said and added that the case had only received the attention it deserved after Council of Europe Rapporteur Dick Marty had published his report. In it, ethnic Albanian KLA is accused of perpetrating atrocities against Serb and other civilians in the province in 1999 and 2000. “Many influential countries, including Russia, point out that the investigation should be given to independent international bodies in order to overcome realistic problems in the field, such as witness protection, leak of information, political pressure,” Vukcevic concluded.

“Hague won’t give up on remaining fugitive”

“We have finished a big job but there is still one more name on our list,” he told daily Politika.

“The Hague is not going to give up on closing the entire chapter on Serbia’s cooperation with The Hague. Goran Hadžić is at large. This is not a new pressure, that’s an old request. (Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor) Serge Brammertz congratulated me at Brioni and said that he had to write a new report to the UN,” Vukčević stated.

He stressed that the fact that the operation of Mladić’s arrest was conducted away from the eyes of the public had contributed to the success.

“It’s interesting that after successful operation there are conspiracy theories that also followed (Radovan) Karadžić’s arrest. The Russians brought him, he used to work at the construction sight, the arrest was staged. It’s a result of a patient and professional work of the Action team and security services,” the war crimes prosecutor was quoted as saying.

He repeated that the prosecution would investigate persons who had helped Mladić hide, “especially those who are suspected of doing so within the government structures”.

Commenting on request of Mladić’s family that the money seized during a search of their home be returned, Vukčević said that “helping an immediate family member is not a criminal act”.

“It is obvious now that the family was helping Mladić hide since he was located in a house of a close relative. The court will decide on possible return of the seized money and pre-trial proceedings are underway against certain number of persons from the Serbian territory for involvement in killing of prisoners of war in Srebrenica,” he explained.

“Del Ponte should run organ trade investigation”

Speaking about an independent investigation into human organ trafficking in Kosovo Vukčević said that the independent investigation was the best solution “but that EULEX, our and Albanian prosecutions should be involved in it”.

“I think that former Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte would be a good choice for an independent investigator because she is a professional, she knows the region, people and circumstances. She opened up the story in public with the allegations in her book,” he said and added that the case had only received the attention it deserved after Council of Europe Rapporteur Dick Marty had published his report.

In it, ethnic Albanian KLA is accused of perpetrating atrocities against Serb and other civilians in the province in 1999 and 2000.

“Many influential countries, including Russia, point out that the investigation should be given to independent international bodies in order to overcome realistic problems in the field, such as witness protection, leak of information, political pressure,” Vukčević concluded.