"Gangster said Đinđić's deputy ordered his killing"

The Djindjic family lawyer was quoted as saying that a man identified by a Zemun gangster as the person who ordered the killing of Zoran Djindjic was Nebojsa Covic. Covic was deputy prime minister in the government formed in early 2001 and led until his death in 2003 by Djindjic. "Gangster said Djindjic's deputy ordered his killing" According to reports, lawyer Srdja Popovic stated that Milos Simovic identified the person nicknamed "Coki" by his name and last name, and that he "thinks" that this person was Nebojsa Covic. Beta news agency is reporting that Popovic made the statement for the Montenegrin Antena M Radio. Nebojsa Covic in the meantime rejected these accusations against him as "nonsensical". After the March 2003 assassination, Simovic spent seven years on the run, and was in the meantime tried in absentia, found guilty and sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy to kill Djindjic. However, he was arrested last year on the Serbian-Croatian border and was granted a retrial, on the grounds of not being present during his original trial. Now Belgrade-based daily Blic writes that a year ago, Simovic made a written statement for the Organized Crime Prosecution where he said the order for the assassination to be carried out came "from a man from the government called Coravi and Coki", and that Simovic provided the person's full identity in the statement. Last week, the member of the Zemun Clan crime gang testified for two days, presenting his defense in the retrial, but refused to speak about any details, announcing instead that he would "speak about the background of the assassination in a separate trial". He also expressed his confidence such a trial would "certainly take place". Lawyer Popovic was quoted as saying today that "after the testimony of Milos Simovic, the ball is now in the yard of the Prosecution for Organized Crime". He said that the prosecutor should decide whether to grant Simovic the status of protected witness, and that in that case, "it would remain to be seen what else Simovic would say". "What Simovic stated thus far is important, but I appraise that we're still far away because that's insufficient, there aren't many fact there. It's just general claims," concluded Popovic. Srdja Popovic (FoNet, file)

"Gangster said Đinđić's deputy ordered his killing"

According to reports, lawyer Srđa Popović stated that Miloš Simović identified the person nicknamed "Ćoki" by his name and last name, and that he "thinks" that this person was Nebojša Čović.

Beta news agency is reporting that Popović made the statement for the Montenegrin Antena M Radio.

Nebojša Čović in the meantime rejected these accusations against him as "nonsensical".

After the March 2003 assassination, Simović spent seven years on the run, and was in the meantime tried in absentia, found guilty and sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy to kill Đinđić.

However, he was arrested last year on the Serbian-Croatian border and was granted a retrial, on the grounds of not being present during his original trial.

Now Belgrade-based daily Blic writes that a year ago, Simović made a written statement for the Organized Crime Prosecution where he said the order for the assassination to be carried out came "from a man from the government called Ćoravi and Ćoki", and that Simović provided the person's full identity in the statement.

Last week, the member of the Zemun Clan crime gang testified for two days, presenting his defense in the retrial, but refused to speak about any details, announcing instead that he would "speak about the background of the assassination in a separate trial". He also expressed his confidence such a trial would "certainly take place".

Lawyer Popović was quoted as saying today that "after the testimony of Miloš Simović, the ball is now in the yard of the Prosecution for Organized Crime".

He said that the prosecutor should decide whether to grant Simović the status of protected witness, and that in that case, "it would remain to be seen what else Simović would say".

"What Simović stated thus far is important, but I appraise that we're still far away because that's insufficient, there aren't many fact there. It's just general claims," concluded Popović.