Croatian journalist murdered "so he could not testify"

Croatian journalist and publisher Ivo Pukanic was killed last year so he could not testify in Serbia, Belgrade daily Politika writes. The indictment of the Special Prosecutor’s Office has a statement of witness Tomislav Marjanovic as key evidence. Croatian journalist murdered "so he could not testify" Marjanovic is protected from criminal prosecution in Croatia. According to the indictment, the motive for the murder was the fact that Pukanic, who owned Zagreb-based Nacional weekly, had published his findings about several criminal groups in Serbia and neighboring countries in the Croatian and Serbian media. The prosecution is accusing Sreten Jocic, aka Joca Amsterdam, of paying “a so far unidentified person” EUR 1.5mn to kill Pukanic. Jocic denied his responsibility for the deaths of Pukanic, and Niko Franic, when he appeared before an investigative judge. Pukanic and Franic died in the explosion of a bomb planted in Zagreb in the fall of 2008. In his statement to the police, Jocic, for years described by the media as one of the regional crime bosses, said that the Prosecutor’s Office had "dragged him into the dirty business of the mafia, intelligence agencies and the police after hearing the rumors from Croatia". Jocic claimed that on April 10 a person had come to the Croatian Prosecutor’s Office and asked for police protection, money, and removal of their criminal records in exchange for pointing the finger at him in the Pukanic case. He added this person was a "false witness", and that he would prove it. Marjanovic admitted to taking part in the conspiracy to murder Pukanic, and also accused others.

Croatian journalist murdered "so he could not testify"

Marjanović is protected from criminal prosecution in Croatia.

According to the indictment, the motive for the murder was the fact that Pukanić, who owned Zagreb-based Nacional weekly, had published his findings about several criminal groups in Serbia and neighboring countries in the Croatian and Serbian media.

The prosecution is accusing Sreten Jocić, aka Joca Amsterdam, of paying “a so far unidentified person” EUR 1.5mn to kill Pukanić.

Jocić denied his responsibility for the deaths of Pukanić, and Niko Franić, when he appeared before an investigative judge. Pukanić and Franić died in the explosion of a bomb planted in Zagreb in the fall of 2008.

In his statement to the police, Jocić, for years described by the media as one of the regional crime bosses, said that the Prosecutor’s Office had "dragged him into the dirty business of the mafia, intelligence agencies and the police after hearing the rumors from Croatia".

Jocić claimed that on April 10 a person had come to the Croatian Prosecutor’s Office and asked for police protection, money, and removal of their criminal records in exchange for pointing the finger at him in the Pukanić case. He added this person was a "false witness", and that he would prove it.

Marjanović admitted to taking part in the conspiracy to murder Pukanić, and also accused others.