Minister says he could resign over photo taken with mobster

Minister says he could resign over photo taken with mobster

New Serbia leader Velimir Ilic made the photograph in question public earlier this week. It shows Loncar with Spasojevic, the leader of the Zemun Clan criminal gang who was shot and killed by the police in the spring of 2003, shortly after the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.

Loncar told Serbia's state television RTS late on Thursday that he was, at the time the photograph was taken, invited to meet "the best-known politician in power," and that Ilic bought it from "a football player."

"The picture was taken near their home. It's some shopping center nearby. I was a resident at the time and I was performing surgeries," he said.

Earlier in the day on Thursday, Ilic published another photograph he said was made "in Silerova St." - where a mansion used by the Zemun Clan was located before the authorities demolished it several days after the Djindjic assassination.

This photo shows Locar in the company of football players Danko Lazovic and Dragoljub Jeremic, and another doctor, Miroslav Risovic, whom protected witness Dejan Milenkovic aka Bagzi linked to the Clan during the Djindjic assassination trial.

The minister told RTS that footballer Jeremic, featured in the photo, sold it to Ilic "because he needed the money."

According to Loncar, it came from "the family album of Dragoljub Jeremic," while "the services" had nothing to do with it.

The minister also recounted how Spasojevic called him to thank him after his father was released from the hospital, and to introduce him to "the most powerful politician."

"I went and got introduced," said Loncar, adding that when the politician "who felt uncomfortable" left, everyone moved to another room where "many top athletes were drinking."

Loncar said that the photographs were made then, "in a coffee shop where cars were on display, there was a pool table, and anyone could get in."

The photos were not taken "in their house," the minister added, but in the shopping center.

"I'm a doctor, I do surgeries to this day, I help people, surgery is my life and I don't choose my patients," said Loncar.

"I don't choose the patients I will operate on, my resignation is not contentious if that's some reason for it. At the time I was an ordinary doctor who performed surgeries. I cannot refuse someone who says, 'you saved my father, my mother, can we take a photo for just a second'," the minister said.