Zemun gangster sentenced in Croatia

Sretko Kalinic was sentenced to a year and a half in prison by a Zagreb court today for possession of falsified Croatian passports. After initially declaring himself not guilty, Kalinic changed his plea after his lawyer's intervention, and told the judge he was guilty of the charges against him. Zemun gangster sentenced in Croatia Kalinic, a member of the Zemun Clan crime group, was one of the defendants tried in absentia and convicted of taking part in the 2003 assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, and sentenced to 30 years in prison. He was handed down another 40 years in jail for 19 other murders. "After the ruling becomes legally valid, Kalinic can be turned over to Serbia right away," Kresimir Devcic, spokesman for the Zagreb County Court, said ahead of the court date in Zagreb today. Kalinic, who has dual Serbian and Croatian citizenship, is charged in Croatia with having requested passports under another name from the Zagreb police, late in August 2006. He falsified his signature and provided a false identity card and his photographs in order to obtain the passport. He is also charged with having requested another passport not in his own name, at a Croatian consulate abroad, early in 2009, submitting his photograph, certificate of citizenship, birth certificate, identity card and confirmation of changed residence not in his name, Croatian media reported. Kalinic's trial was scheduled in record time, as he is due to be extradited to Serbia. He is to be the first Croatian citizen to be delivered to Serbia. After a court procedure and Kalinic's consent to be turned over to Serbia, Croatian Justice Minister Drazen Bosnjakovic approved his extradition last week. Another man convicted of Djindjic's murder, Milos Simovic, shot at Kalinic on June 8, at a lake in Rakitje, Croatia. Two days later, Simovic was arrested while attempting to cross the Croatian-Serbian border illegally. Both were at large since the Djindjic assassination, on March 12, 2003. Kalinic in the courtroom today (vecernji.hr)

Zemun gangster sentenced in Croatia

Kalinić, a member of the Zemun Clan crime group, was one of the defendants tried in absentia and convicted of taking part in the 2003 assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić, and sentenced to 30 years in prison. He was handed down another 40 years in jail for 19 other murders.

"After the ruling becomes legally valid, Kalinić can be turned over to Serbia right away," Krešimir Devčić, spokesman for the Zagreb County Court, said ahead of the court date in Zagreb today.

Kalinić, who has dual Serbian and Croatian citizenship, is charged in Croatia with having requested passports under another name from the Zagreb police, late in August 2006. He falsified his signature and provided a false identity card and his photographs in order to obtain the passport.

He is also charged with having requested another passport not in his own name, at a Croatian consulate abroad, early in 2009, submitting his photograph, certificate of citizenship, birth certificate, identity card and confirmation of changed residence not in his name, Croatian media reported.

Kalinić's trial was scheduled in record time, as he is due to be extradited to Serbia. He is to be the first Croatian citizen to be delivered to Serbia.

After a court procedure and Kalinić's consent to be turned over to Serbia, Croatian Justice Minister Dražen Bošnjaković approved his extradition last week.

Another man convicted of Đinđić's murder, Milos Simović, shot at Kalinić on June 8, at a lake in Rakitje, Croatia. Two days later, Simović was arrested while attempting to cross the Croatian-Serbian border illegally.

Both were at large since the Đinđić assassination, on March 12, 2003.