11. 09. 2004

Jocic “will not file libel complaint”

SUBOTICA, September 11, 2004 – Serbian Interior Minister Dragan Jocic said yesterday that he will not lay criminal charges against Vreme journalist Milos Vasic over an article claiming that he had taken part in negotiations with Djindjic murder suspect Dejan “Bugsy” Milenkovic. Speaking during a break in yesterday’s meeting of the parliament’s Security and National Minorities Committee, Jocic said that Vasic’s article made a number of untrue assertions. “I find it unbelievable that someone should feel free to accuse someone of something and claim something which never happened. I have never had any contact with Mrs Kajganic until ten days ago, that it until Dejan Milenkovic was arrested in Greece, when I directed, at her request, that Milenkovic’s family be provided with protection. “There isn’t the slightest bit of truth in any of what Vasic has said,” said Jocic, adding that he would, however, not lay a libel complaint. He did, however, say that freedom of the media had overstepped the boundary of good intentions. Vasic told daily Danas that he stands behind the article published in Vreme and that the only thing of interest to him in the whole issue is the truth. “All I’m interested in is finding out whether or not this took place because, in an interview with Vecernje Novosti, lawyer Biljana Kajganic said that she warned Dejan Milenkovic that he would be tricked by the people who offered him witness-associate status. “So conversations of these kind took place and they were intercepted. If they hadn’t been, the Greek police would never have caught Milenkovic. The content of those conversations is something which can be discussed in court,” said Vasic.