Milosevic's wife defiant over murder warrant

Slobodan Milosevic's wife is refusing to return immediately to Belgrade where she is wanted by the police for questioning over the murder of a former Serbian president.

Mirjana Markovic had been in Moscow since the end of February visiting her son, said her daughter Marija. "She's in Moscow to meet Marko. It's not an escape," she said. Marko Milosevic fled to Russia in October 2000 when his father was ousted as Serbia's ruler.

Ms Milosevic told the Montenegrin daily Publika that her mother was "surprised" to hear she faced an international arrest warrant unless she returned for questioning. "Let them [the police] issue a warrant," Ms Milosevic quoted her mother as saying over the phone from Moscow.

Serbian police said on Saturday they had "well-founded suspicions" that Ms Markovic was linked to the killing of Ivan Stambolic, a predecessor of Mr Milosevic, who is currently on trial in The Hague.

Mr Stambolic disappeared in August 2000 while jogging in a Belgrade park. At the time he was considering challenging Mr Milosevic in presidential elections. His decomposed body was found last Friday on a mountain in northern Serbia.

Zarko Korac, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister, said yesterday: "The killing of Ivan Stambolic was a paid, political killing. It is justified and logical to assume that the direct order for the killing came from the [Milosevic-Markovic] couple ... It seems that we are dealing with a family that ordered murders."

Yesterday, Serbian television showed gruesome footage of the unearthing of Mr Stambolic's grave, including images of bones, sport shoes and pieces of clothing. Mr Korac said the grave was dug days ahead of the killing, suggesting a premeditated act.

Serbian police said one of the killers of Mr Stambolic led them to where his body was buried. The killer, a member of the notorious Special Operations Unit (JSO). the armed wing of the secret police, said Mr Stambolic was shot with two bullets to the head.

The order for the killing allegedly came from Rade Markovic, Mr Milosevic's secret police chief. "Markovic was just the pawn in the couple's hands," Mr Korac stressed. Mirjana and Rade Markovic are not related.

Serbian police said yesterday that a five-member team from the JSO was paid DM100,000 to abduct and kill Mr Stambolic.

Payment was made through the unit's commander at the time, Milorad Lukovic. Mr Lukovic is wanted for links to the killing of Zoran Djindjic, the Serbian Prime Minister assassinated earlier this month.

The unidentified killer of Mr Stambolic was arrested in the unprecedented crackdown on organised crime after the murder of Mr Djindjic. The government blames underworld gangsters for the assassination of the reformist Prime Minister. The crackdown led to the discovery of links between organised crime gangs and the JSO, which committed many war crimes in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo.

The deputy commander of the JSO, Zvezdan Jovanovic, was arrested last week for allegedly killing Mr Djindjic. JSO was disbanded after his arrest.

Since the assassination of Mr Djindjic authorities have detained and questioned thousands of Milosevic-era war veterans, drug traffickers and underworld figures. Several judges and former high-ranking police officials have also been detained.

Vladan Batic, the Serbian Justice Minister, said yesterday that the trial of the crime bosses accused of murdering Mr Djindjic would be the "biggest in Serbia's history. We have support from our people and from the world. We must not fail," he added.