Developments in Pukanic Case
New developments in the murder of Ivo Pukanić include arrests, a potential informant and reports of threats against the witness. OCCRP reported in April on the arrest of Sreten Jocić, aka Joca Amsterdam, in connection with the bombing assassination of Pukanić, publisher of Croatia’s Nacional, and his marketing director. Early this month in Belgrade, Serbian authorities arrested Željko Milovanović, whom they suspect planted the explosives that were used. Milovanović had been a fugitive since October, when he narrowly escaped a raid on his apartment in Doboj, in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
At the time of his arrest Milovanović was armed, but surrendered peacefully, according to police, and has denied any involvement in the Pukanić murder. At his apartment in Belgrade, police seized weapons, ammunition, numerous false identification papers and surveillance equipment.
On Wednesday, Milovanović was sentenced in a Belgrade court to 22 months in prison for outstanding weapons and forgery charges. Prosecutors dropped a bank robbery charge dating from 2004 due to a lack of evidence. Croatian media have reported that Serbian officials suspect Milovanović of having helped rob a Belgrade post office a week before his arrest. The investigation into his involvement in the Pukanić slaying is ongoing.
Cooperation Praised
While Milovanović’s Serbian citizenship legally prevents extradition to Croatia, officials from both countries have praised the cooperation between regional law enforcement that led to his arrest.
“We are not scared of the proceedings wherever they take place because the suspicions that he committed the crime he is charged with has been irrefutably proven,” Croatian Police Director Vladimir Faber told the news agency Hina earlier this month.
Milovanović’s arrest came only a day after Milenko Kuzmanović was arrested in Belgrade, another suspect in the Pukanić case. Kuzmanović had been held by Croatian authorities for two months shortly after the murder on suspicion of having helped acquire the explosives used by the assassins and assisting the attempted escape of two more conspirators now in custody, Slobodan Đurović and Robert Matanić. Kuzmanović had been released in December for lack of evidence.
Breakthroughs in the case began April after a former conspirator in the assassination came forward to Croatian law enforcement and named several individuals now in custody, including Jocić and Djurović. The witness’s claims are currently being investigated by Croatian authorities while he is under protection.
The Croatian news portal Javno reported earlier this month that Zagreb police are investigating possible threats against the witness.
--Michael Mehen 