21. 10. 2005

MARKO KNEW ABOUT BOMBING OF RTS?

BELGRADE, October 21, 2005 – Zanka Stojanovic, whose son was killed in the bombing of RTS, claims that Marko Milosevic knew the station would be a target. Zanka Stojanovic said that in December 2001, Aleksandar Petkanic, who claims to be the former bodyguard of Marko Milosevic, proposed to lawyer Borivoje Borovic to appear as the witness of prosecution in the case against the former RTS director Dragoljub Milanovic. Stojanovic also claims that, Borovic approached her in the hall of the Belgrade Palace of Justice in December 2001 and told her that he had a letter which might be used as key evidence in the case against Milanovic. “The letter allegedly cited that on April 21, 1999, one day before the RTS bombing, Petkanic was sitting with Marko Milosevic, the then Chief of Directorate for moral and information of the Supreme Command Headquarters Brigadier General Aleksandar Bakocevic and two other generals, in the café Rolex in Pozarevac. Milosevic told them then that RTS and one military object in Pozarevac were going to be hit tomorrow, adding that the number of victims would be minor comparing to the benefits gained in anti-NATO campaign”, said Zanka Stojanovic. Zanka Stojanovic said that she had tried on several occasions to get the copy of the letter from Borovic, but he told her every time that the letter was misplaced, suggesting her to appeal to the Justice Minister Vladan Batic regarding the Petkanic’s claims. She did just that, but there were no results. Stojanovic was persistent in obtaining the copy of the letter from Borovic, but was told that “the guy was threatened to keep quiet”, and that the letter was lost. Lawyer Borivoje Borovic could not remember Petkanic, but allowed the possibility that some of the prisoners had sent the letter, asking to take on his case. Former Justice Minister Vladan Batic said he was not aware of the letter. “I would turn heaven and earth to get hold of that letter. Everyone knows my opinion of Dragoljub Milanovic”, Batic said. The role of Slobodan Milosevic, father of Marko Milosevic and president of Yugoslavia at the time of NATO air campaign in Serbia, in the deaths of 16 RTS workers was never investigated on the court. The then RTS director Dragoljub Milanovic was convicted for disobeying the order of evacuation, but was never found guilty for premeditated mass murder.