01. 04. 2004

Police Minister Promises Results In B92 Bomb Probe

BELGRADE, April 1, 2004 – Serbian Police Minister Dragan Jocic visited the offices of Radio-Television B92 this morning to discuss a recent incident in which a bomb was found under a B92 crew vehicle used for reporting from Kosovo. "I'm here to express my assistance and to say that I will be at the disposal of not just you but all media which feel threatened, and to hear from you what I, as interior minister, can do," said Jocic. The minister said he expected the case to be resolved soon. "The investigation can be expected to bring results. It all depends on the gathering of information, but it shouldn't take long, since Raska is not that big, and the case is not that complicated. It simply must be cleared up so it does not become the norm." An explosive device was found under the vehicle of a B92 crew returning from reporting in Kosovo. The device was not wired to explode, and the local police at the time suggested it had been discarded by someone following an earlier search of the area. Matic said it was not simply a question of the security of B92, but of Serbian media in general. He expressed disappointment with the reaction of the local police in Raska and said that B92 would not let the incident remain as encouragement for those who wish harm not only to B92 but to the whole country.