“U.S. could back out of Kovačević deal”

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said that the U.S. might back out of negotiations after the media speculation surrounding the case of Miladin Kovacevic. “After what's being written in the media, there is a great possibility that no agreement will be reached and that the American side will back out of negotiations,” he said at a news conference of his Socialist Party of Serbia’s local committee in Nis. “U.S. could back out of Kovacevic deal” “Those who are attacking what is happening in the government [regarding the Kovacevic case] support good relations with America, so it is strange that they are now upset, because that was done in agreement with the American side,” Dacic said. He said that Serbia will have to pay, “just as it had to pay for setting the American embassy on fire.” “Why is no one asking who is responsible for setting fire to the embassy and why the state must pay for that,” Dacic said. The police questioned Borba daily Editor-in-Chief Olivera Zekic, once the information regarding the case leaked to the press, but no one from the government has yet been interviewed by the MUP. Meantime, the trustee for information of public importance, Rodoljub Sabic, commenting on the Kovacevic scandal, told B92 that by law, journalists do not have any obligation to release either sources, except when a crime is in question which comes with a possible sentence of five or more years in prison, which is not the case here. “On the political side, I think that an unnecessary and ugly message is being sent. A part of the public sees this as pressure being put on the media,” he said. Borba newspaper stated that it would "continue to investigative who in the Foreign Affairs Ministry is responsible in this case" The staff has uncovered new information regarding the police raid of their offices, Zekic said. “What we have learned is that in the night between Friday and Saturday State Prosecutor Slobodan Radovanovic personally ordered the Police [Directorate] chief [Milorad] Veljovic to search the offices of Borba,” she told B92. “And we know for sure that he did not go through the Interior Ministry. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic pulled the police out of our offices after learning of this." Justice Ministry State Secretary Slobodan Homen said that once the issue is solved behind closed doors between Serbian and American officials, they will sign an agreement that will end this case that has seriously disrupter the two countries' relations. He denied the stories of some U.S. papers which quote State Department officials as saying that the arrangement is a private matter between Serbia and the Steinhauer family. Kovacevic is accused of last year, while studying in the United States, injuring Bryan Steinhauer in a barroom brawl. He was arrested and released on bail, but he fled the U.S. and returned to Serbia after being issued temporary travel documents by the Serbian New York consulate. Kovacevic refuses to return and face the U.S. courts, while Serbia's Constitution prohibits extradition of its nationals to other countries. Embassy: Kovacevic should be tried stateside First Secretary of the U.S. embassy in Belgrade, Rian Harris, reiterated on Wednesday in a statement to Tanjug news agency that his country is committed to cooperation with the Serbian authorities so that Miladin Kovacevic is tried in America. "We remain committed to working with the Serbian authorities to ensure that justice is fulfilled," Harris said. Two days ago, U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood also said that the American authorities would continue working with their Serbian counterparts so that Kovacevic is handed over to the U.S. to be tried there. Speaking about a settlement to the family of Kovacevic's alleged victim, Harris said that "the details of that are between the Serbian government and the Steinhauer family". The government announced it was conducting talks about the Kovacevic case, that it had classified documents about this as secret in the interest of the successful negotiations and of all sides in the talks and that these documents would be made public after a solution that is acceptable to both countries was reached.

“U.S. could back out of Kovačević deal”

“Those who are attacking what is happening in the government [regarding the Kovačević case] support good relations with America, so it is strange that they are now upset, because that was done in agreement with the American side,” Dačić said.

He said that Serbia will have to pay, “just as it had to pay for setting the American embassy on fire.”

“Why is no one asking who is responsible for setting fire to the embassy and why the state must pay for that,” Dačić said.

The police questioned Borba daily Editor-in-Chief Olivera Zekić, once the information regarding the case leaked to the press, but no one from the government has yet been interviewed by the MUP.

Meantime, the trustee for information of public importance, Rodoljub Šabić, commenting on the Kovačević scandal, told B92 that by law, journalists do not have any obligation to release either sources, except when a crime is in question which comes with a possible sentence of five or more years in prison, which is not the case here.

“On the political side, I think that an unnecessary and ugly message is being sent. A part of the public sees this as pressure being put on the media,” he said.

Borba newspaper stated that it would "continue to investigative who in the Foreign Affairs Ministry is responsible in this case"

The staff has uncovered new information regarding the police raid of their offices, Zekić said.

“What we have learned is that in the night between Friday and Saturday State Prosecutor Slobodan Radovanović personally ordered the Police [Directorate] chief [Milorad] Veljović to search the offices of Borba,” she told B92.

“And we know for sure that he did not go through the Interior Ministry. Interior Minister Ivica Dačić pulled the police out of our offices after learning of this."

Justice Ministry State Secretary Slobodan Homen said that once the issue is solved behind closed doors between Serbian and American officials, they will sign an agreement that will end this case that has seriously disrupter the two countries' relations.

He denied the stories of some U.S. papers which quote State Department officials as saying that the arrangement is a private matter between Serbia and the Steinhauer family.

Kovačević is accused of last year, while studying in the United States, injuring Bryan Steinhauer in a barroom brawl. He was arrested and released on bail, but he fled the U.S. and returned to Serbia after being issued temporary travel documents by the Serbian New York consulate.

Kovačević refuses to return and face the U.S. courts, while Serbia's Constitution prohibits extradition of its nationals to other countries.

Embassy: Kovačević should be tried stateside

First Secretary of the U.S. embassy in Belgrade, Rian Harris, reiterated on Wednesday in a statement to Tanjug news agency that his country is committed to cooperation with the Serbian authorities so that Miladin Kovačević is tried in America.

"We remain committed to working with the Serbian authorities to ensure that justice is fulfilled," Harris said.

Two days ago, U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood also said that the American authorities would continue working with their Serbian counterparts so that Kovačević is handed over to the U.S. to be tried there.

Speaking about a settlement to the family of Kovačević's alleged victim, Harris said that "the details of that are between the Serbian government and the Steinhauer family".

The government announced it was conducting talks about the Kovačević case, that it had classified documents about this as secret in the interest of the successful negotiations and of all sides in the talks and that these documents would be made public after a solution that is acceptable to both countries was reached.