Military security chief briefs committee

Director of the Military Security Agency (VBA) Svetko Kovac stated on Tuesday that the agency is collecting information regarding the Kosovo organ trafficking. At the session of the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Security, Kovac stressed that the VBA is collecting the information, and that the prosecutor will decide on their relevance as evidence. Military security chief briefs committee According to him, the pre-investigation proceedings are underway, and all information that the VBA and other agencies gathered will be submitted to the war crimes prosecutor. "We have been working on collecting the information and evidence ever since 1999, but it was not always easy since some of the witnesses where intimidated and withdrew from testifying," Kovac underscored. He stressed that there were no requests for the original files related to the investigation, and that this military agency has no file on the outgoing Kosovo Albanian PM Hashim Thaci, named in the Marty report as one of those responsible for kidnappings of civilians and organ harvesting. The committee today adopted the VBA report, which spans the period between May 1 and November 1 of this year. Svetko Kovac is seen during the committee session today (Beta) Security situation stable Svetko Kovac today also informed the committee about the overall security situation in the country from the point of view of the agency he is heading, to say that the most serious threats stem from the problems related to the self-proclaimed independence of Kosovo, organized crime and corruption, and extremist groups. Kovac said that members of the Serbian Army (VS) have not been endangered in the Ground Safety Zone, along the administrative line between Kosovo and central Serbia, and that southern parts of Serbia were "relatively stable", but warned of "indications" that pointed to the possibility that the situation could become more "complex". "Beside the existing criminal terrorist groups in that area, there are (ethnic Albanian) secessionist demands and provocations of other extreme associations and groups," said he. Kovac also told the committee that his agency was unable to find any data that indicated that Hague fugitives Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic received help from the members of the army and the Ministry of Defense. As for the Raska District, known informally as Sandzak, which is home to a large Muslim (Bosniak) minority, the VBA chief said there was no information that the VS structures and members were directly jeopardized, as well as that there was "an increase in trust in the army". But he singled out as potentially threatening the contacts made by radical Islamic Wahabbi movement with the likely-minded persons in the region, adding that "the number of connections between the members of the army and that category is relatively low and does not pose a security risk".

Military security chief briefs committee

According to him, the pre-investigation proceedings are underway, and all information that the VBA and other agencies gathered will be submitted to the war crimes prosecutor.

"We have been working on collecting the information and evidence ever since 1999, but it was not always easy since some of the witnesses where intimidated and withdrew from testifying," Kovač underscored.

He stressed that there were no requests for the original files related to the investigation, and that this military agency has no file on the outgoing Kosovo Albanian PM Hashim Thaci, named in the Marty report as one of those responsible for kidnappings of civilians and organ harvesting.

The committee today adopted the VBA report, which spans the period between May 1 and November 1 of this year.

Security situation stable

Svetko Kovač today also informed the committee about the overall security situation in the country from the point of view of the agency he is heading, to say that the most serious threats stem from the problems related to the self-proclaimed independence of Kosovo, organized crime and corruption, and extremist groups.

Kovač said that members of the Serbian Army (VS) have not been endangered in the Ground Safety Zone, along the administrative line between Kosovo and central Serbia, and that southern parts of Serbia were "relatively stable", but warned of "indications" that pointed to the possibility that the situation could become more "complex".

"Beside the existing criminal terrorist groups in that area, there are (ethnic Albanian) secessionist demands and provocations of other extreme associations and groups," said he.

Kovač also told the committee that his agency was unable to find any data that indicated that Hague fugitives Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić received help from the members of the army and the Ministry of Defense.

As for the Raška District, known informally as Sandžak, which is home to a large Muslim (Bosniak) minority, the VBA chief said there was no information that the VS structures and members were directly jeopardized, as well as that there was "an increase in trust in the army".

But he singled out as potentially threatening the contacts made by radical Islamic Wahabbi movement with the likely-minded persons in the region, adding that "the number of connections between the members of the army and that category is relatively low and does not pose a security risk".