Arrests in Serbia

"Arrest Milosevic"

Several days before the republican elections of December 23, the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) informed the impatient public that "the frontmen of the former regime will be arrested in January or February".

AIM Belgrade, December 16, 2000

"JUL in - we out" was the message on a banner carried during the recent protests of Serbian prison inmates. The majority of citizens of Serbia agree with the first part of this message. The public sees the Yugoslav Left, party of Milosevic's wife Mira Markovic, as the source and cause of the worst cases of the abuse of power in recent years. The fact that the leaders of the former regime are still at large causes much dissatisfaction, the more so as the papers - headed by former Milosevic's chief media support - feature every day stories about specific malversations of, until recently untouchable, members of the political elite.

That is why few days before the republican elections scheduled for December 23, the Democratic Opposition of Serbia announced its intention to do something. Gaso Knezevic, Minister in the Transitional Government of Serbia said that "arrests will start in January or February", while Zarko Korac, one of the DOS leaders, claimed that the issue of Slobodan Milosevic's responsibility will be raised immediately after parliamentary elections. For the time being, the only one arrested was Mihalj Kertes, one of the most notorious figures of Milosevic's regime, one-time main player of the "yoghurt revolution" in Vojvodina, "Popular Minister" in the Government of Serbia, Chief of the Federal Police and Director of the Federal Customs Office during the period of worst state-run smuggling.

This is how Kertes, in his interview to "Sunday Telegraph" ("Nedeljni telegraf"), characterised the authorities whose flagship he had been for years,: "They always asked for more. More for pensions, more for the Army, more for the Police, more for health. More for the social peace. Always more and more". Among the insatiable ones Kertes mentioned Uros Suvakovic, official of the State Security Service of Serbia, to whom he gave money in September, just before the federal elections. The police arrested Kertes on December 14, on grounds to believe that he had caused more than DM 9 million worth damage to the state. Criminal charges were also raised against Suvakovic "for extortion".

However, Kertes' name is not linked only to grand financial schemes. His name was mentioned in the context of arms deliveries made during war in Bosnia, he had organised the notorious regime "counter-rally" in Belgrade on December 24, 1996 during civil protests and informed circles even rumoured about his involvement in the attempt made on the life of the opposition leader Vuk Draskovic, on the Ibar Highway in fall of 1999.

For the time being, Kertes has been remanded in custody for 30 days, but what he will be charged with remains to be seen. However, Kertes is perhaps even more interesting as a witness. More than anyone else, he should know how did Slobodan Milosevic's filthy rich son Marko, did business. Just as a reminder - he held monopoly on the import of "Phillip Morris" cigarettes. Marko - who had fled to Russia with his family as soon as his father was dethroned - is one of those whom people in Serbia would like to see behind bars the most and not just because of the plunder and extortion he had committed.

For example, an "Otpor" activist from Pozarevac, Zoran Milanovic, recently filed criminal report against former President's son and six other employees of Marko's firm "Madona". This spring those men brutally beat him up and took him at gunpoint to Marko who demanded his confession that as "Otpor" activist he had received money from abroad, and to disclose where was "Otpor" propaganda material being printed and who was its main man. At one moment, Milosevic switched on a motor-saw threatening to cut up Milanovic with it and throw him into the Velika Morava River.

Nevertheless, the main question is what will happen with Milosevic senior. "Slobodan Milosevic should go to prison for ordering the electoral theft, numerous murders and for waging wars", said Zoran Djindjic, President of the Democratic Party and probably future Prime Minister of Serbia, for Radio B 92. He added that the former president should also be tried for transferring billions of dollars to his private account and the accounts of his associates abroad. When it comes to the electoral theft of September 24, several days ago an indictment was issued against Chairman of the Federal Electoral Commission and five more people who, in the name of the authorities, too part in the attempt of rigging the electoral results. Milosevic was acquitted for the lack of evidence. However, the main dilemma remains whether Milosevic will be tried for war crimes and where.

Co-Minister in the Transitional Government of Serbia, Sead Spahovic, stated for Fonet Agency on December 1, that Milosevic should be tried by the Hague Tribunal. "We cannot provide judiciary of such quality capable of prosecuting Milosevic...Sending him to the Hague is very important because it is still unclear to people here what was happening. People are not yet aware what crimes had been committed by this state on its behalf". The Hague Tribunal, naturally, absolutely agrees with this - but there are different opinions too.

Apart from FRY President Vojislav Kostunica, who stated his negative opinion of the Tribunal both before and after the elections, it seems that the citizens would prefer for Milosevic to be tried at home. According to a public opinion survey of the Internet web site Free B92, some 72 percent of 5 thousand respondents stated that they would rather see Milosevic tried in Serbia, while 20 percent of the interviewees were for the Hague. All in all, some 92 percent of computerised citizens think that Milosevic should be brought to justice.

There are also those who are trying to actively contribute to this: representatives of parents of children killed in wars between 1991 and 1995 announced their intention of filing charges against Milosevic and his associates after December elections for "driving to death a large number of young of people by their behaviour".

Within the framework of the campaign "Arrest Slobodan Milosevic", over 3,500 denizens of Kragujevac signed a petition of the Youth Club of the Serbian Renewal Movement demanding the arrest of SPS leaders. The action will be extended to other Serbian towns and it was announced that the collected signatures will be handed to public and military prosecutors.

As for Milosevic himself, it seems that he is less in touch with reality than ever before. In his recent two-hour interview to TV channel "Palma" - the first one he gave after stepping down from power - he said that the Hague Tribunal "is a part of the system of genocide of the Serbs" and that there is nothing that he fears from the courts in Serbia. "I can sleep peacefully and my conscience is clear", he said.

At a press conference held several days ago, his wife Mira Markovic said that she thought the reporter's question about the Hague Tribunal "unusually sadistic" and stated that there are families which care for material riches, but also those which do not - and that her family, naturally, falls into this second category.

Roksanda Nincic

(AIM)