Former BIA chief "acted in line with law", says DSS

The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) has said that former Security Information Agency (BIA) Rade Bulatovic "always worked by the letter of the law". Accordingly, there could be no evidence proving otherwise, stated the party on Friday. Former BIA chief "acted in line with law", says DSS After War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic said Bulatovic would be called in to explain "some things" in connection with the harboring of war crime indictees, the DSS noted that Vukcevic was "well aware" that Bulatovic had always worked in accordance with the law. "When this truth is confirmed once more, the question will remain for Vukcevic on whose orders and for whose political interests he tried to tie Rade Bulatovic and the DSS with the cases he is prosecuting. Abuse of the prosecutor's office for political purposes is the worst form of undermining the rule of law," the DSS said in a release. After saying he has no evidence against Bulatovic, Vukcevic proceeded to do something "completely contrary in announcing that, despite the lack of evidence, he would call Bulatovic in to be questioned as a private citizen," said the DSS. On Friday, Vukcevic announced that the Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor's Office had charged 13 people, including a retired general and former senior official of military security, with taking part in helping and harboring Hague Tribunal indictees Ratko Mladic and Stojan Zupljanin. The Prosecutor's Office also investigated the role of Rade Bulatovic. Vukcevic said Bulatovic would be called in to explain "some things," because there was reliable information that a person brought in from the Serb Republic (RS) told him about 11 locations where Mladic had been hiding. Bulatovic then ordered the arrests of Rajko Djogo and Stevan Ristic's group, without waiting for them to lead him to Mladic, said Vukcevic. Ratko Mladic (file) Tanjug

Former BIA chief "acted in line with law", says DSS

After War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukčević said Bulatović would be called in to explain "some things" in connection with the harboring of war crime indictees, the DSS noted that Vukčević was "well aware" that Bulatović had always worked in accordance with the law.

"When this truth is confirmed once more, the question will remain for Vukčević on whose orders and for whose political interests he tried to tie Rade Bulatović and the DSS with the cases he is prosecuting. Abuse of the prosecutor's office for political purposes is the worst form of undermining the rule of law," the DSS said in a release.

After saying he has no evidence against Bulatović, Vukčević proceeded to do something "completely contrary in announcing that, despite the lack of evidence, he would call Bulatović in to be questioned as a private citizen," said the DSS.

On Friday, Vukčević announced that the Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor's Office had charged 13 people, including a retired general and former senior official of military security, with taking part in helping and harboring Hague Tribunal indictees Ratko Mladić and Stojan Župljanin. The Prosecutor's Office also investigated the role of Rade Bulatović.

Vukčević said Bulatović would be called in to explain "some things," because there was reliable information that a person brought in from the Serb Republic (RS) told him about 11 locations where Mladić had been hiding. Bulatović then ordered the arrests of Rajko Djogo and Stevan Ristic's group, without waiting for them to lead him to Mladić, said Vukčević.