Župljanin refuses Hague indictment

War crimes suspect Stojan Zupljanin on Friday in Belgrade refused to receive the Hague Tribunal indictment against him. The man arrested Wednesday still claims to be Branislav Vukadin, his lawyer Nebojsa Maras said. Zupljanin refuses Hague indictment Addressing reporters outside the Special Court in Belgrade, Maras added that the defendant had expressed his doubts regarding the DNA analysis carried out by the Serbian police, MUP. The defense has asked the investigative judge handling the case that another DNA and fingerprint analysis be performed by a qualified institution – other than MUP. The lawyer said that the person who had hired him had introduced himself as Branislav Vukadin. Earlier, his legal counsel Igor Pantelic told Beta news agency that according to procedure, the indictment was to be read out to him, but that the suspect would not enter a plea today. Zupljanin was arrested in Pancevo on Wednesday, and after DNA analysis confirmed his identity, he was taken into custody. According to procedures stipulated by the Law on Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, Zupljanin could be extradited to the Hague Tribunal within the next three days, or nine days at the latest, once all the appeal deadlines have expired. Earlier today, it was reported in daily Blic that the police were looking into the role of a former senior Vojvodina official in harbouring Hague fugitive Stojan Zupljanin. Blic understands that Koviljko Lovre, former president of the Vojvodina Executive Council and agriculture minister in the government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SRJ), has been taken into custody on suspicion that he was one of Zupljanin’s principle accomplices from “the Novi Sad connection”. According to Blic, Lovre, now a regular professor at Novi Sad University’s Economics Faculty, was taken into custody three days ago following a surveillance operation lasting several months, after which the hunt for Zupljanin began. Besides Serbian secret services, one department of the Republika of Srpska police also took part in the operation. The Interior Ministry and the secret services began surveillance of the “Novi Sad connection” after former Hague Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte repeated her claims that Zupljanin was hiding in the Novi Sad area, laying particular emphasis on the suburbs of Futog and Veternik. It has been established that last November, Lovre posted various classified adverts of unusual content in a number of national dailies, thus unintentionally attracting the attention of the police and security services. Stojan Zupljanin (Tanjug, archive)

Župljanin refuses Hague indictment

Addressing reporters outside the Special Court in Belgrade, Maraš added that the defendant had expressed his doubts regarding the DNA analysis carried out by the Serbian police, MUP.

The defense has asked the investigative judge handling the case that another DNA and fingerprint analysis be performed by a qualified institution – other than MUP.

The lawyer said that the person who had hired him had introduced himself as Branislav Vukadin.

Earlier, his legal counsel Igor Pantelić told Beta news agency that according to procedure, the indictment was to be read out to him, but that the suspect would not enter a plea today.

Župljanin was arrested in Pančevo on Wednesday, and after DNA analysis confirmed his identity, he was taken into custody.

According to procedures stipulated by the Law on Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, Župljanin could be extradited to the Hague Tribunal within the next three days, or nine days at the latest, once all the appeal deadlines have expired.

Earlier today, it was reported in daily Blic that the police were looking into the role of a former senior Vojvodina official in harbouring Hague fugitive Stojan Župljanin.

Blic understands that Koviljko Lovre, former president of the Vojvodina Executive Council and agriculture minister in the government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SRJ), has been taken into custody on suspicion that he was one of Župljanin’s principle accomplices from “the Novi Sad connection”.

According to Blic, Lovre, now a regular professor at Novi Sad University’s Economics Faculty, was taken into custody three days ago following a surveillance operation lasting several months, after which the hunt for Župljanin began. Besides Serbian secret services, one department of the Republika of Srpska police also took part in the operation.

The Interior Ministry and the secret services began surveillance of the “Novi Sad connection” after former Hague Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte repeated her claims that Župljanin was hiding in the Novi Sad area, laying particular emphasis on the suburbs of Futog and Veternik.

It has been established that last November, Lovre posted various classified adverts of unusual content in a number of national dailies, thus unintentionally attracting the attention of the police and security services.