Kovačević, consul remanded in custody

The Belgrade District Court’s investigative judge has remanded Miladin Kovacevic and ex-Serbian Consul to New York Slobodan Nenadovic in custody for 30 days. The decision was taken to prevent the possible escape or witness tampering. Kovacevic, consul remanded in custody Kovacevic’s lawyer, Borivoje Borovic, said Kovacevic had exercised his right to silence on the charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm, and had pleaded not guilty on the second count of the indictment of incitement to commit abuse of office. “When the defense asked, the investigative judge answered that the court was not acting at the U.S. authorities’ behest, nor was it conducting any investigative work on their behalf. Moreover, the case was not handed to the Serbian judicial system by the U.S. police or Justice Department, rather the court is acting on a request from the Serbian prosecution,” Borovic said. Tanjug has been told by the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade that the U.S. Justice Department did not hand over the Kovacevic case to the Serbian judiciary, but that it only sent photocopies of the list of criminal proceedings that the U.S. authorities are leading against him. However, State Secretary at the Justice Ministry Slobodan Homen denies these claims, stating that the U.S. Justice Department handed the Kovacevic case to the Serbian authorities for them to conduct an investigation. “The Republic of Serbia has no reason to believe the U.S. press and what we have learnt so far has only been from newspaper headlines,” Homen said. He said that if the Serbian court established that there were elements of foul play, Kovacevic would be charged with causing grievous bodily harm. “The State Prosecution’s job is to establish whether the documentation is adequate, whether there are enough grounds to proceed, and whether the evidence is genuine. It is my belief that because the prosecution has launched an investigation, they probably think that there are enough grounds to justify criminal proceedings,” Homen said. Court spokeswoman Marina Klaric Zivkovic said last night that the investigative judge at Belgrade’s Second District Court had remanded Kovacevic and Nenadic in custody for up to 30 days. She said that Kovacevic had been placed into custody because of the genuine danger of his escape, and because of the danger of witness tampering, while Nenadovic had been remanded to prevent him contacting witnesses. Klaric Zivkovic said that the investigative judge had ordered the investigation to be extended. Kovacevic was charged by the U.S. authorities with attacking and seriously injuring Bryan Steinhauer on the night of May 4/5 in a Binghamton University bar in upstate New York. The Serbian student is also charged with inciting abuse of official position, and forging documents. The former Serbian consul general, who was also arrested on Tuesday, is charged with abuse of office for helping to forge Kovacevic's passport. Kovacevic was charged in the United States for inflicting grievous bodily harm on Steinhauer, and his passport was confiscated. He then fled the country after the Serbian Consulate to New York issued him with temporary travel documents. Miladin Kovacevic (Beta, archive)

Kovačević, consul remanded in custody

Kovačević’s lawyer, Borivoje Borović, said Kovačević had exercised his right to silence on the charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm, and had pleaded not guilty on the second count of the indictment of incitement to commit abuse of office.

“When the defense asked, the investigative judge answered that the court was not acting at the U.S. authorities’ behest, nor was it conducting any investigative work on their behalf. Moreover, the case was not handed to the Serbian judicial system by the U.S. police or Justice Department, rather the court is acting on a request from the Serbian prosecution,” Borović said.

Tanjug has been told by the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade that the U.S. Justice Department did not hand over the Kovačević case to the Serbian judiciary, but that it only sent photocopies of the list of criminal proceedings that the U.S. authorities are leading against him.

However, State Secretary at the Justice Ministry Slobodan Homen denies these claims, stating that the U.S. Justice Department handed the Kovačević case to the Serbian authorities for them to conduct an investigation.

“The Republic of Serbia has no reason to believe the U.S. press and what we have learnt so far has only been from newspaper headlines,” Homen said.

He said that if the Serbian court established that there were elements of foul play, Kovačević would be charged with causing grievous bodily harm.

“The State Prosecution’s job is to establish whether the documentation is adequate, whether there are enough grounds to proceed, and whether the evidence is genuine. It is my belief that because the prosecution has launched an investigation, they probably think that there are enough grounds to justify criminal proceedings,” Homen said.

Court spokeswoman Marina Klarić Živković said last night that the investigative judge at Belgrade’s Second District Court had remanded Kovačević and Nenadić in custody for up to 30 days.

She said that Kovačević had been placed into custody because of the genuine danger of his escape, and because of the danger of witness tampering, while Nenadović had been remanded to prevent him contacting witnesses.

Klarić Živković said that the investigative judge had ordered the investigation to be extended.

Kovačević was charged by the U.S. authorities with attacking and seriously injuring Bryan Steinhauer on the night of May 4/5 in a Binghamton University bar in upstate New York.

The Serbian student is also charged with inciting abuse of official position, and forging documents.

The former Serbian consul general, who was also arrested on Tuesday, is charged with abuse of office for helping to forge Kovačević's passport.

Kovačević was charged in the United States for inflicting grievous bodily harm on Steinhauer, and his passport was confiscated.

He then fled the country after the Serbian Consulate to New York issued him with temporary travel documents.