War crimes prosecutor "fears cover-up"

BELGRADE Serbia's War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic says his office decided to make public a human organ trafficking testimony "in order to prevent a cover-up". Vukcevic spoke for B92 in Belgrade on Tuesday to say that there are "sides" in whose interest it is not for the truth about the removal of body parts from kidnapped Serbs in Kosovo to be uncovered. War crimes prosecutor "fears cover-up" At the same time, he asserted that the prosecution had gathered enough evidence to prove that the atrocities did take place in Kosovo, and in Albania. "We fear obstruction. In a way, obstruction is visible, and it relates to the passing of time which is great, and since this international team of Prosecutor (John) Williamson - with whom, by the way, I have had great cooperation - was formed. However, as time goes by, I cannot see absolutely anything happening," the Serbian prosecutor said. Asked "who is trying to prevent this story being talked about", Vukcevic said he "did not wish to name countries" - but that there were "certain forces who do not benefit from such a monstrous thing being brought to light, or from finding out who perpetrated it". "It is our duty to prove that a crime has been committed and I think we have done that. We started this a long time ago, and have also tried to (work) in direct communication with the prosecution in Tirana, but failed, and after that we turned to the Council of Europe, that is, to (Rapporteur) Dick Marty, who joined in then, and did what he did," Vukcevic said in reference to the Marty report on human organ trafficking. Asked whether "one witness could solve the case", the prosecutor answered negatively, but stressed that there was "other evidence that was important". However, he refused to comment on PM and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic's statement that the protected witness - a part of whose testimony was made public late on Monday - "was not the only one". "I do not wish to reveal more details and at the same time, also not to deny the statements of the interior minister," said Vukcevic. The prosecutor said that the statement of the protected witness - a former member of the ethnic Albanian KLA - who recounted the removal of the heart from a captured Serb who was alive as the procedure started, "leads to the conclusion that the whole thing was well organized". Vukcevic also confirmed that he was scheduled to soon meet with Chief Hague Prosecutor Serge Brammertz to discuss the case, and added that he "expected support", considering that the Hague prosecution "had worked on it", while former Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte's book "started the whole thing". Vladimir Vukcevic (FoNet, file) B92

War crimes prosecutor "fears cover-up"

At the same time, he asserted that the prosecution had gathered enough evidence to prove that the atrocities did take place in Kosovo, and in Albania.

"We fear obstruction. In a way, obstruction is visible, and it relates to the passing of time which is great, and since this international team of Prosecutor (John) Williamson - with whom, by the way, I have had great cooperation - was formed. However, as time goes by, I cannot see absolutely anything happening," the Serbian prosecutor said.

Asked "who is trying to prevent this story being talked about", Vukčević said he "did not wish to name countries" - but that there were "certain forces who do not benefit from such a monstrous thing being brought to light, or from finding out who perpetrated it".

"It is our duty to prove that a crime has been committed and I think we have done that. We started this a long time ago, and have also tried to (work) in direct communication with the prosecution in Tirana, but failed, and after that we turned to the Council of Europe, that is, to (Rapporteur) Dick Marty, who joined in then, and did what he did," Vukčević said in reference to the Marty report on human organ trafficking.

Asked whether "one witness could solve the case", the prosecutor answered negatively, but stressed that there was "other evidence that was important".

However, he refused to comment on PM and Interior Minister Ivica Dačić's statement that the protected witness - a part of whose testimony was made public late on Monday - "was not the only one".

"I do not wish to reveal more details and at the same time, also not to deny the statements of the interior minister," said Vukčević.

The prosecutor said that the statement of the protected witness - a former member of the ethnic Albanian KLA - who recounted the removal of the heart from a captured Serb who was alive as the procedure started, "leads to the conclusion that the whole thing was well organized".

Vukčević also confirmed that he was scheduled to soon meet with Chief Hague Prosecutor Serge Brammertz to discuss the case, and added that he "expected support", considering that the Hague prosecution "had worked on it", while former Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte's book "started the whole thing".