Criminals without borders

Trial for Pukanic assassination resumes in Belgrade

09.02.2011 u 21:32

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The trial of Sreten Jocic, Zeljko Milovanovic and Milenko Kuzmanovic, charged in Belgrade with the murder of Croatian journalist Ivo Pukanic and his associate Niko Franjic in Zagreb in 2008, resumed at a Belgrade court on Wednesday.

At the end of November 2010, witness Tomislav Marjanovic said via video link from the Zagreb County Court that the murder was planned in Zagreb in the flat of Dario Anic, a friend of one of the accused, Robert Matanic.

Marjanovic said on that occasion that he, Robert and Luka Matanic, Amir Mafalani, Milovanovic, Bojan Guduric, and Kuzmanovic had plotted the murder and that Slobodan Djurovic, their go-between with Jocic, had come to the flat several times.

Marjanovic's testimony was then adjourned, just as Milovanovic began interrogating him. On that occasion, Milovanovic dismissed Marjanovic's claims that they had taken part in plotting the murder.

Today, responding to Milovanovic's questions, Marjanovic stuck by his previous claim that Milovanovic had been part of the plot.

The trial is scheduled to resume tomorrow.

Jocic, Milovanovic and Kuzmanovic are indicted for conspiracy to commit crimes and first degree murder. They are accused of planting an explosive device on a moped in Zagreb in October 2008, which was then parked by Pukanic's car in the parking lot of his media company Nacional for a reward not lower than EUR 1.5 million.

The Zagreb County Court on 3 November 2010 convicted six men of the murder, including Milovanovic, who was tried in absentia.

Robert Matanic, accused of assembling a criminal group, was given 33 years in jail, his cousin Luka and their friend Amir Mafalani were each given 16 years' imprisonment as accessories. Milovanovic, accused of activating the explosive device, was sentenced to 40 years in jail, while Bojan Guduric, who was to have shot Pukanic had the explosive failed, was given a 30-year sentence. Slobodan Djurovic was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment as the connection to Sreten Jocic, who allegedly paid EUR 1.5 million to have Pukanic killed.