11. 07. 2002

Police Probe Reporter Article

BELGRADE, July 11, 2002 - The editor in chief of Belgrade weekly Reporter has been ordered to attend a police interrogation about an article claiming the Serbian government's information bureau once housed surveillance equipment. Vladimir Radomirovic said he was handed the summons by two policemen who threatened to arrest him if he refused to show up. It was issued by Belgrade district prosecutor Rade Terzic. "After consultations with our lawyer I decided to accept the summons and show up tomorrow where I'll decide whether to give a statement or not," said Radomirovic. The article - headed "Intelligence war in DOS - who's big brother to who?" - concerned claims the information bureau was being used to tap the office of Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica. Rade Terzic confirmed he had asked police to check Reporter's claims and its sources. "We asked that those sources be checked - how do they know what's being held in the building and whether that's true," said Terzic. "If they were true, someone committed a criminal offence," added the prosecutor.