Military court judge stands trial

BELGRADE Trial of a former Military Court Judge in the lawsuit filed by a family of a soldier killed in Belgrade army base began Friday Jakovljevic family sued Military court investigative judge Vuk Tufegdzic for libel, referring to the slanderous statements he reportedly given to the media in regards to their son Dragan Jakovljevic, one of the two elite guard soldiers that had died in Topcider army base in October 2004. Military court judge stands trial The first hearing in the libel case was held Friday, March 30, even though Rosa and Janko Jakovljevic, Dragan’s parents, filed the lawsuit two years ago. The lawsuit read that Tufegdzic defamed Jakovljevic family during the investigative process into their son’s death. “On several occasions Tufegdzic referred to our late son as a low-ranking soldier, calling him aggressive, inept and intellectually challenged,” Jakovljevics said. “We seek justice for our son, and wish he had never enlisted into army. He was an upright young man,” Janko Jakovljevic said. The circumstances of two guard soldiers’ deaths still remain unaccounted for. Two separate investigations have been carried out, including that of a government-sponsored independent commission and that of the Military court headed by then investigative judge Vuk Tufegdzic. The Independent commission concluded that the soldiers were murdered by the third person, while the army established that Jakovljevic shot and killed Milovanovic and then committed suicide. “I remain convinced that the military court reached the correct conclusion and that there was no third person involved in the deaths of Drazen Milovanovic and Dragan Jakovljevic”, Tufegdzic said at the time. The case has subsequently been forwarded to the FBI. Jakovljevic family lawyer Vladan Batic said he believed that the FBI would confirm the findings of the Independent commission. “If the FBI confirmed that a third person was responsible for the deaths, it would raise the question who that third person might be. I have already said I believe the deaths to be linked with the Hague fugitives, Ratko Mladic in particular,” Batic said. Two days prior to the soldiers’ deaths, the army conducted an inspection at the Karas underground structure, raising suspicion that they may have been looking for the Hague fugitive Ratko Mladic, and that the soldiers lost their lives after witnessing something they were not supposed to. The security cameras were malfunctioning at the moment Milovanovic and Jakovljevic died.

Military court judge stands trial

The first hearing in the libel case was held Friday, March 30, even though Rosa and Janko Jakovljević, Dragan’s parents, filed the lawsuit two years ago. The lawsuit read that Tufegdžić defamed Jakovljević family during the investigative process into their son’s death.

“On several occasions Tufegdžić referred to our late son as a low-ranking soldier, calling him aggressive, inept and intellectually challenged,” Jakovljevićs said.

“We seek justice for our son, and wish he had never enlisted into army. He was an upright young man,” Janko Jakovljević said.

The circumstances of two guard soldiers’ deaths still remain unaccounted for. Two separate investigations have been carried out, including that of a government-sponsored independent commission and that of the Military court headed by then investigative judge Vuk Tufegdzić.

The Independent commission concluded that the soldiers were murdered by the third person, while the army established that Jakovljević shot and killed Milovanović and then committed suicide.

“I remain convinced that the military court reached the correct conclusion and that there was no third person involved in the deaths of Dražen Milovanović and Dragan Jakovljević”, Tufegdzić said at the time.

The case has subsequently been forwarded to the FBI.

Jakovljević family lawyer Vladan Batić said he believed that the FBI would confirm the findings of the Independent commission.

“If the FBI confirmed that a third person was responsible for the deaths, it would raise the question who that third person might be. I have already said I believe the deaths to be linked with the Hague fugitives, Ratko Mladić in particular,” Batić said.

Two days prior to the soldiers’ deaths, the army conducted an inspection at the Karaš underground structure, raising suspicion that they may have been looking for the Hague fugitive Ratko Mladić, and that the soldiers lost their lives after witnessing something they were not supposed to. The security cameras were malfunctioning at the moment Milovanović and Jakovljević died.