Belgrade-based tabloid Alo reported yesterday that the leader of the European Movement of Serbs from Kosovo, Rada Trajkovic gave a statement to the Kosovo Prosecutor’s Office which was allegedly the reason why the custody of two Serbs from North Mitrovica, accused of involvement in the murder of Oliver Ivanovic, was extended. The head of the Kosovo Office, Marko Djuric harshly criticized Trajkovic yesterday, while Trajkovic herself denied these allegations, arguing that she was not a witness in Ivanovic’s case. On the other hand, the Kosovo prosecutor in charge of this case, Syle Hoxha confirmed for KoSSev today that the request for the extension of custody of the suspects in the case of Ivanovic’s murder was submitted, but that the court has not reached a decision yet. Hoxha also confirmed that Trajkovic was questioned in Pristina last year.
„The Kosovo Special Prosecutor requested the extension of the custody of Nedeljko Spasojevic and Marko Rozic yesterday, who were arrested on November 23rd of last year on suspicion of being involved in the murder of Oliver Ivanovic. His request was based on the testimony given by Rada Trajkovic to the Shiptar judiciary,“ tabloid Alo reported, citing unnamed sources.
The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic today confirmed Alo’s allegations by presenting, as he claimed, a document of the Kosovo Prosecutor’s Office on the extension of custody for Spasojevic and Rosic to the media today.
The President also read this document that allegedly contains information about Rada Trajkovic’s testimony which is the reason, in his words, “why Spasojevic and Rosic are in detention”.
„The witness Rada Trajkovic stated, among other things, that she was in a continuous contact with the late Oliver Ivanovic, and that Oliver was constantly monitored and followed by professional services, especially by the state of Serbia”, the President read in public what he presented was the original Kosovo Prosecutor’s office document.
„You see what kind of a liar that woman is“, he paused and continued reading it afterwards.
„As far as the organization and execution of the murder of Ivanovic are concerned, the suspect Milan Radoicic, who is on the run, and his men who came from Serbia and who are operating in the north of Kosovo, are standing behind it. According to the witness, Oliver Ivanovic knew that he would be murdered, and he informed all security organs in Kosovo and Serbia about it. Oliver Ivanovic personally informed both the President of Serbia and the BIA about it, but nobody gave him support,“ this document allegedly reads.
Vucic then denied these allegations and added that he offered various security measures, on two occasions, to the former most influential Kosovo Serb leader. He further claimed that he even placed the gendarmerie at Ivanovic’s disposal.
„(I offered) to remove people from the gendarmerie, because they cannot stay in Kosovo as gendarmes, that we pay them from central Serbia to protect him with no one knowing about it,“ Vucic added.
The President said that he offered security at the time Oliver Ivanovic told him that he did not feel personally threatened. However, in Vucic’s opinion, „it was important because of the existing crime“. Ivanovic „refused“ twice the protection, according to Vucic. The President claimed he had witnesses for such allegation – “from his closest family“.
Top Serbian officials – the Minister of Justice, the Head of the Kosovo Office and the President himself have been assuring the Serbian public for months that the Special Prosecution of Kosovo refuses to cooperate in the investigation of this murder. There are allegedly numerous requests of the Serbian Prosecution to obtain evidence and documents which remain unanswered. Today, however, the President presented a document today which, in his opinion, proves „what kind of liars we are talking about here“, without specifying the channel to receive this document.
„You should see what kind of liars we’re talking about here. These people have accused their country, these people are keeping all people as hostages because of their political agenda. And what kind of liars they are – I do not even want to talk about it. Since they said that they were not witnesses, and that they did not give statements, here you can see that they were and that they did,“ added Vucic.
He emphasized that someone is certainly lying, adding that he is not sure “who exactly”.
„Either Rada Trajkovic is lying or Syle Hoxha is lying, one of them or both of them,“ the President said.
„You have to bear in mind that Nedeljko Spasojevic and Marko Rosic are in custody because of the testimony of Rada Trajkovic, and you heard what kind of testimony it was,“ he concluded.
Hoxha: Trajkovic questioned in Pristina last year, the decision on the extension of the custody of suspects has not yet been made
The Prosecutor of the Kosovo Special Prosecutor’s Office in charge of the case of the murder of Ivanovic confirmed for KoSSev today that Trajkovic „made a statement last year.“ He, however, did not confirm that her statement is related to the decision on the extension of the custody of Rosic and Spasojevic.
„It was not decided yet, I asked for an extension of custody, but the court has not yet decided. It’s true that she made that statement earlier, but I cannot answer whether it is connected with this,“ he briefly told KoSSev.
Hoxha stated that Rada Trajkovic made a statement to the Kosovo Special Prosecutor’s Office last year at its offices in Pristina, adding that he could not specify exactly when this happened, as he can not remember the exact month.
The special prosecutor interrupted the conversation before KoSSev managed to ask whether the document presented by the Serbian President to the media is authentic, as well as whether this document was submitted to the Serbian authorities at their request.
Trajkovic: My knowledge of Ivanovic’s murder is not key in the ongoing investigation and is available to the media
Trajkovic reacted after Vucic addressed the media. She requested from the Kosovo Prosecutor’s Office to publish all her statements and communication with the Special Prosecutor’s Office.
„My knowledge of Ivanovic’s assassination is not key to the ongoing investigation and (I repeat) is available in many media outlets. Therefore, as such, it can be publicly disclosed – especially now that my security was directly compromised by Aleksandar Vucic through his media manipulations,“ Trajkovic tweeted.
She again denied the allegations that her statements were related to the alleged decision to extend the custody of Rosic and Spasojevic.
„I do not know, nor do I have any knowledge on the activities of the two suspects in this investigation, for whose extension of detention I was unlawfully and unreasonably accused of by Aleksandar Vucic at his press conference today,“ she emphasized.
Trajkovic shared the article of the Alo tabloid yesterday, requesting protection from „Vucic’s tabloids“ and claiming that she was not a witness in the Ivanovic case.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
