"Đinđić's close associates refused polygraph test"

BELGRADE During its work, the Commission for Investigating Murders of Journalists "interviewed ten persons on the lie detector," the Belgrade daily Danas is reporting. Among those who refused to give statements while tested in this manner were close associates of late Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, Nemanja Kolesar and Zoran Janjusevic, the newspaper said on Wednesday. "Djindjic's close associates refused polygraph test" The article added that the Commission wanted to interview them about the murder of journalist Milan Pantic from Jagodina. Pantic, a correspondent of the Vecernje Novosti daily, was murdered in 2001 when he was struck on the head at the entrance to the building in which he lived. At the time, he was investigating alleged fraud related to the privatization of a cement factory. An investigation against Kolesar and Janjusevic happened earlier regarding that privatization, but in December 2010, the High Court in Belgrade stopped the investigation since the prosecution decided that it did not have enough evidence to press charges. In January 2002, 70 percent of the the Novi Popovac cement factory's capital was taken over by the Swiss Holcim company for USD 52.5 million. When the tender for the sale of the company was called Kolesar served as chairman of its management board of the company. Janjusevic was in that period Djindjic's adviser for security. The tender for the cement factory was called in July 2001, one month after Pantic’s murder. The Danas daily reported that people who were until that point involved in "disputable businesses with cement" were allegedly involved in preparation of the privatization, and the indications about that, according to the investigation, could be seen in Pantic’s reports. Another Belgrade daily, Politika, wrote on Wednesday that an employee of the Serbian Foreign Ministry "saw the assassin of journalist Slavko Curuvija." Curuvija was shot and killed in April 1999 in front of the building where he lived. The daily stated that the diplomat approached "investigator of war crimes Natasa Kandic in 2001" and said what he saw, but he added that he "had no confidence in the authorities and thus did not turn to the police as a witness." “The man had a posture of a gentleman and the conversation with him showed that he was educated. He told me that in 1998 and 1999, but also later, he used to work on maintaining liaisons with diplomatic missions in Kosovo and that he was often in Kosovska Mitrovica”, Kandic told Politika. She "wrote the information about the witness in her notebook, which later disappeared," the article said, and added that Kandic stated that she "probably lost her notebook and that it was unlikely that it was stolen." This activist was also quoted as saying that "the diplomat remembered a car he saw in the vicinity of location where the assassination happened and that he said he would recognize the people he saw then." Chairman of the Commission for Investigation of Murders of Journalists Veran Matic has called on all citizens who have any information on Curuvija’s assassination to contact him. A file photo of Zoran Janjusevic, and Nemanja Kolesar in the background Danas, Politika, VIP

"Đinđić's close associates refused polygraph test"

The article added that the Commission wanted to interview them about the murder of journalist Milan Pantić from Jagodina.

Pantić, a correspondent of the Večernje Novosti daily, was murdered in 2001 when he was struck on the head at the entrance to the building in which he lived.

At the time, he was investigating alleged fraud related to the privatization of a cement factory.

An investigation against Kolesar and Janjušević happened earlier regarding that privatization, but in December 2010, the High Court in Belgrade stopped the investigation since the prosecution decided that it did not have enough evidence to press charges.

In January 2002, 70 percent of the the Novi Popovac cement factory's capital was taken over by the Swiss Holcim company for USD 52.5 million. When the tender for the sale of the company was called Kolesar served as chairman of its management board of the company.

Janjušević was in that period Đinđić's adviser for security. The tender for the cement factory was called in July 2001, one month after Pantić’s murder. The Danas daily reported that people who were until that point involved in "disputable businesses with cement" were allegedly involved in preparation of the privatization, and the indications about that, according to the investigation, could be seen in Pantić’s reports.

Another Belgrade daily, Politika, wrote on Wednesday that an employee of the Serbian Foreign Ministry "saw the assassin of journalist Slavko Ćuruvija."

Ćuruvija was shot and killed in April 1999 in front of the building where he lived.

The daily stated that the diplomat approached "investigator of war crimes Nataša Kandić in 2001" and said what he saw, but he added that he "had no confidence in the authorities and thus did not turn to the police as a witness."

“The man had a posture of a gentleman and the conversation with him showed that he was educated. He told me that in 1998 and 1999, but also later, he used to work on maintaining liaisons with diplomatic missions in Kosovo and that he was often in Kosovska Mitrovica”, Kandić told Politika.

She "wrote the information about the witness in her notebook, which later disappeared," the article said, and added that Kandić stated that she "probably lost her notebook and that it was unlikely that it was stolen."

This activist was also quoted as saying that "the diplomat remembered a car he saw in the vicinity of location where the assassination happened and that he said he would recognize the people he saw then."

Chairman of the Commission for Investigation of Murders of Journalists Veran Matić has called on all citizens who have any information on Ćuruvija’s assassination to contact him.