Lazarevic questioned by criminal police

BELGRADE - Charge d'affaires of the Serbian Embassy in Athens Branko Lazarevic was questioned on Wednesday at the Criminal Police Administration (UKP) in Belgrade, on suspicion of collaborating with members of the criminal group led by drug lord Darko Saric.

After the questioning at the UKP, Lazarevic, accompanied by his lawyer Dragoljub Djordjevic, was taken to the Special Prosecutor's Office to give his statement before the prosecutor for organized crime, Tanjug learned at the prosecutor's office.

Lazarevic was questioned at the UKP for more than nine hours in the presence of his lawyer and the deputy prosecutor for organized crime.

Djordjevic said that the confidentiality of information prevents him from giving a statement to the media, and added that the process of Lazarevic's questioning is still ongoing.

During the previous makeup of the Serbian government, Lazarevic was chief of staff for Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, and he was questioned upon the order of the Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime.

The police questioned Lazarevic based on indications that he had contacted the indicted members of Saric's criminal group and leaked information on the surveillance measures taken against them.

Lazarevic is also to say whether he was meeting with Saric - indicted for smuggling of approximately three tons of cocaine from South America into Western Europe and for money laundering in Serbia, as well as with Saric's associate Rodoljub Radulovic, also charged with cocaine smuggling.

Photo Tanjug, F. Kraincanic

Continue reading on: