Dačić's former cabinet chief released from custody

Dačić's former cabinet chief released from custody

Lazarević was thus set free pending the outcome of the proceedings against him, after he was placed in 48-hour police custody on Wednesday.

The measures in the case were announced on Thursday by a Special Department for Organized Crime judge in the preliminary proceedings, and came at the proposal of the Prosecution for Organized Crime.

Earlier today, Prosecutor Miljko Radosavljevic told B92 that he proposed the measures after several hours of questioning, and that Lazarević was facing the so-called abbreviated proceeding.

After performing "some other evidence gathering," a decision will be made on whether to press criminal charges against all persons reported in the case, specified Radisavljević.

According to media reports Lazarević is suspected of having ties with Darko Šarić, a fugitive accused of smuggling tons of cocaine from South America.

SNS party Vice-President Nebojša Stefanović said that "political parties should not interfere in the investigation and possible proceedings against Lazarević."

Asked how the case will affect the relationship between the SNS and Dačić's Socialists (SPS), he said he "did not know," and added he was "not dealing with the work of the judiciary, but only insisted that authorities do their job."

But Dragoljub Mićunović, a senior official of the opposition Democratic Party (DS), told B92 that at this point, the questioning of Lazarević "can only be understood as the SNS moving against the SPS."