11. 04. 2014

ĆURUVIJA CASE – 15 YEARS SINCE THE CRIME

In the past 15 years, solving of the Ćuruvija case has been one of the key promises of every government in Serbia. Progress was made only when Ćuruvija's colleagues established the Commission to Investigate Murders of Journalists, the aim of which is to help reveal the truth and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Special prosecutor Miljko Radisavljević expects the investigation to be completed soon. The procedure began on 14 January, when it was announced that Ratko Romić and Milan Radonjić of the State Security at the time of murder were arrested on the charges of Ćuruvija's murder. Radomir Marković, former head of the State Security, was identified as the organizer, and Miroslav Kurak as a direct executor, for whom a warrant has been issued.

"The investigation is ongoing and the work on it is intense. Numerous investigation activities have been undertaken and there has been no delay in the procedure so far. I am satisfied with the results so far and I expect the investigation to be completed soon", said prosecutor Radisavljević for ‘Politika', but he did not wish to tell more precisely what the investigation has established.

Slobodan Ružić, legal representative of Jelena and Rade Ćuruvija, daughter and son of the late journalist, said that the prosecution is putting great efforts to shed the light on the case, but that according to the procedure so far he does not expect that those who ordered the crime will be identified in the court procedure.

"I think that sufficient evidence has been collected for pressing charges, but it is not certain whether this will be enough for passing judgment. There has been a lot of improvement in the investigation compared to six years ago. When it comes to those who ordered the crime, I am convinced, based on what I know that has been done and based on what is yet to be done, that absolutely nothing points to those who have ordered the crime. All that has been mentioned in public are merely speculations. The only way to identify those who ordered the crime would be if one of the suspects says who gave the order. If things remain at what we know now, we will have the executors, but not those who ordered the murder, unfortunately", said Ružić for ‘Politika'.

Veran Matić, who is the head of the Commission to Investigate Murders of Journalists, said for B92 program "Kažiprst" that the Commission will continue to monitor everything the prosecutor's office does and to look for relevant information.

Answering the question whether one can trust Milorad Ulemek, the man who is sentenced for the murder of prime minister Zoran Đinđić, and whose testimony moved the Ćuruvija murder investigation forward, Veran Matić said that all moves forward in relation to the murder of Đinđić came precisely from the people who were "inside".

He also said that the police is trying to locate Miroslav Kurak, who is suspected to be a direct executor of the Ćuruvija murder.

The investigation of the Ćuruvija murder is an official secret, and thus the prosecution, the defense, the legal representatives of Ćuruvija's children, brother and wife - lawyers Slobodan Ružić, Rajko Danilović and Nikola Barović - do not divulge details.

So far it is known that the following persons were heard as witnesses: Jovica Stanišić, former head of State Security, Franko Simatović, founder of the Unit for Special Operations, Milorad Bracanović, former deputy head of the Security Information Agency, officials and members of the State Security Branko Crni, Milan Popivoda, Predrag Gikić, Olivera Antonić, Radovan Božović, Stevan Basta, Stevan Nikčević, Vladimir Nikolić, and Biljana Pejović, widow of Luka Pejović, once linked to the Ćuruvija murder. Members of the Zemun criminal clan also testified: Dejan Milenković Bagzi, Miladin Suvajdžić, Miloš and Aleksandar Simonović. Ćuruvija's daughter's (Jelena Ćuruvija) testimony was also heard.