SNS officials: Who delayed investigation in Lazarevic case?

BELGRADE - Vice President of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Nebojsa Stefanovic called on partners in the outgoing government coalition on Friday to clearly define their stand on the fight against corruption and crime and urged leader of the United Serbia (JS) Dragan Markovic to say whether he himself or the leaders of the coalition comprising the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), Party of United Pensioners of Serbia (PUPS) and JS asked for a delay of investigation into the Lazarevic case.

“The real question is not why the case against Branko Lazarevic was launched on Friday, the real question is why it has not been launched until now and who kept hindering it for years on end,” Stefanovic told Tanjug.

Reacting to Markovic's statement according to which the detention of Branko Lazarevic, former head of the cabinet of Minister of Interior Ivica Dacic, is sheer media propaganda, Stefanovic called on JS leader to identify the individual he was referring to when he said that someone launched the case today, in the course of the electoral campaign.

“I call on Markovic to say openly what he was referring to and identify the individuals and parties behind the interruption of the investigation against Branko Lazarevic in the past four years and also to list the names of those who did not launch the proceedings earlier so that the reasons could be established why Lazarevic was not interrogated three or four years ago,” Stefanovic said.

Lazarevic was interrogated in the Criminal Police Department on Wednesday on suspicion that he cooperated with members of the criminal ring headed by runaway drug lord Darko Saric and the court pronounced a ban on him leaving residence without court approval and temporarily seized his...