The New York Times

Tuesday, January 18, 2000

Accomplice to Killing of Serb Warlord Found-Papers

By Reuters

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Police have found a wounded accomplice to the assassination of Serb paramilitary leader Arkan and will interview him once he regains consciousness, two dailies close to the Yugoslav authorities said on Tuesday.

The two papers quoted ``reliable sources'' in their reports, which follow allegations by opposition politicians that the killers are in some way linked to Serbia's ruling elite.

``There has been a turning point in the investigation...an accomplice, seriously wounded in the shooting, underwent surgery,'' the leading pro-government newspaper Politika said.

``The man, who has a serious bullet wound, has not given any statement to investigators because he is unconscious,'' it said.

Politika did not explain when and how police had found the wounded man, or what hospital he was in. It added that the killer was still at large and that the motive was still unknown.

Police have not made any statement on Saturday's murder, in which Arkan, whose real name was Zeljko Raznatovic, and two other men, were gunned down in the lobby of a Belgrade hotel.

The killings have caused furious speculation in Serbian independent media over whether Arkan was killed because of underworld business interests, rivalry with police or a bid to bargain with the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

The Hague indicted Arkan in 1997 for alleged war crimes in Bosnia and Croatia and charged Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and four of his aides with alleged war crimes in Kosovo in May last year.

Many opposition figures and independent observers have said the murder would probably not be solved, and some suggested the state was behind the killing of Arkan, either because he had become too powerful and independent or because he knew too much.

POLITIKA SAYS INVESTIGATION REFUTES ALLEGATIONS

Politika said the discovery of the accomplice proved that that such speculation was meaningless.

``In any case, all speculation as to a professional piece of work carried out because of Arkan's war activities or the tribunal work proved to be wrong.'' It also said ``allegations about state terrorism were malicious.''

Politika said security cameras in the hotel lobby were working and helped security guards identify the attackers.

The other paper, Vecernje Novosti, also said it had learned unofficially that police had arrested the man injured in the hotel, and identified another attacker.

Novosti quoted sources from both the underground world and police as saying the killer was known to Arkan because he ''would not let anyone else approach with his left hand in his pocket.''

``Those capable of such a crime could not afford to make even the smallest mistake. It's obvious Raznatovic felt secure and safe in the hotel and both his and his security's attention eased,'' the paper quoted a source as saying.

Politika also said Arkan had known his killers. It said he had talked to them and that they left but later came back.

The independent daily Glas quoted Dobrivoje Radovanovic, a lecturer in criminology at Belgrade university, as saying that given the charges provoked by the assassination, the authorities were clearly keen to show the investigation was progressing.

``It will be better for the authorities that Arkan's murder be solved, because such events could turn against them,'' it said.