Indictment draft against folk star

B92 has obtained exclusive information regarding an indictment against folk singer Svetlana Ceca Raznatovic and her sister Lidija Velickovic-Ocokoljic. The indictment against the widow of gangster Zeljko Raznatovic aka Arkan was drafted two months ago. Indictment draft against folk star The prosecution, despite this fact, still has not decided whether to indict the singer, or drop their case against her. Raznatovic and her sister are suspected of illegally appropriating over four million then German marks, and around USD 3.5mn, from transfers of Belgrade's FK Obilic football players to foreign clubs. The two, according to the document obtained by B92, transferred the money to their private accounts instead of transferring it to the club account. At the time of the alleged criminal dealings, Svetlana Raznatovic was the president, and Lidija Velickovic secretary of FK Obilic. According to a B92 source, Svetlana Raznatovic has political protection and is preparing for her December tour of Australia. Regardless of the fact that the investigation has lasted for full seven years, the prosecution demanded neither that her passport be revoked, nor to ban her from leaving the country. If Svetlana Raznatovic happens to be out of the country when and if the indictment against her is raised, the scenario of evading prosecution could repeat, as seen before in the cases of Marko Milosevic, Mirjana Markovic and Bogoljub Karic, who are all hiding in Russia. Two years ago, B92 TV investigative program Insajder (Insider) made public the details about the way Svetlana Raznatovic and her sister allegedly appropriated money from selling FK Obilic players. The state also looks to charge Svetlana Raznatovic with illegal possession of firearms. During MUP Operation Saber in the wake of the 2003 Djindjic assassination, several pistols and revolvers filled with ammunition were found in her Belgrade residence, when she was also detained. The District Attorney spokesperson, Tomo Zoric, confirmed that the Raznatovic case was at the Belgrade High Court, which was "analyzing documents". B92 has learned that Svetlana Raznatovic has strong political protection from several party leaders who are currently in power in the country. B92's confidential source claims that that was the reason for prolonging the process. Svetlana Raznatovic (FoNet, file) Political support Belgrade-based Blic newspaper journalist Vuk Cvijic, who has been following the investigation against Raznatovic, says today that the indictment draft concerns transfers of nine players that happened before Zeljko Raznatovic was murdered. Svetlana Raznatovic was suspected of having ties with multiple former and current high state officials, raising questions of whether the state has at some point “protected“ her, or perhaps whether it still does. “This is an unusually long investigation, even in Serbia, it has lasted for seven years. The investigation went on under different political structures from 2003 till today,“ says Cvijic, and adds that she and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic are born in the same town, and also that she performed at a political rally, “where high ranking state officials of that time were present, but not Dacic.“ New Serbia leader Velimir Ilic, who has on several occasions declared himself a close friend of the singer, claims that she has never asked for his political protection. United Serbia leader and Jagodina Mayor Dragan Markovic Palma, whose party is now inside the country's ruling coalition, once an ally of Zeljko Raznatovic and his Party of Serbian Unity, refused to talk to B92 about the subject. B92 did not manage to get any official statement from Dacic either. But the minister and ruling SPS party leader has on several occasions said that he and Svetlana Raznatovic were friends, yet that he would "never protect anyone, not even her, from legal prosecution".

Indictment draft against folk star

The prosecution, despite this fact, still has not decided whether to indict the singer, or drop their case against her.

Ražnatović and her sister are suspected of illegally appropriating over four million then German marks, and around USD 3.5mn, from transfers of Belgrade's FK Obilić football players to foreign clubs.

The two, according to the document obtained by B92, transferred the money to their private accounts instead of transferring it to the club account.

At the time of the alleged criminal dealings, Svetlana Ražnatović was the president, and Lidija Veličković secretary of FK Obilić.

According to a B92 source, Svetlana Ražnatović has political protection and is preparing for her December tour of Australia.

Regardless of the fact that the investigation has lasted for full seven years, the prosecution demanded neither that her passport be revoked, nor to ban her from leaving the country.

If Svetlana Ražnatović happens to be out of the country when and if the indictment against her is raised, the scenario of evading prosecution could repeat, as seen before in the cases of Marko Milošević, Mirjana Marković and Bogoljub Karić, who are all hiding in Russia.

Two years ago, B92 TV investigative program Insajder (Insider) made public the details about the way Svetlana Ražnatović and her sister allegedly appropriated money from selling FK Obilić players.

The state also looks to charge Svetlana Ražnatović with illegal possession of firearms.

During MUP Operation Saber in the wake of the 2003 Đinđić assassination, several pistols and revolvers filled with ammunition were found in her Belgrade residence, when she was also detained.

The District Attorney spokesperson, Tomo Zorić, confirmed that the Ražnatović case was at the Belgrade High Court, which was "analyzing documents".

B92 has learned that Svetlana Ražnatović has strong political protection from several party leaders who are currently in power in the country. B92's confidential source claims that that was the reason for prolonging the process.

Political support

Belgrade-based Blic newspaper journalist Vuk Cvijić, who has been following the investigation against Ražnatović, says today that the indictment draft concerns transfers of nine players that happened before Željko Ražnatović was murdered.

Svetlana Ražnatović was suspected of having ties with multiple former and current high state officials, raising questions of whether the state has at some point “protected“ her, or perhaps whether it still does.

“This is an unusually long investigation, even in Serbia, it has lasted for seven years. The investigation went on under different political structures from 2003 till today,“ says Cvijić, and adds that she and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dačić are born in the same town, and also that she performed at a political rally, “where high ranking state officials of that time were present, but not Dačić.“

New Serbia leader Velimir Ilić, who has on several occasions declared himself a close friend of the singer, claims that she has never asked for his political protection.

United Serbia leader and Jagodina Mayor Dragan Marković Palma, whose party is now inside the country's ruling coalition, once an ally of Željko Ražnatović and his Party of Serbian Unity, refused to talk to B92 about the subject.

B92 did not manage to get any official statement from Dačić either. But the minister and ruling SPS party leader has on several occasions said that he and Svetlana Ražnatović were friends, yet that he would "never protect anyone, not even her, from legal prosecution".