Serbian Star Ceca Declared Not Guilty of Assault

Belgrade Basic Court on Wednesday ruled that Svetlana Raznatovic and her son-in-law, Predrag Ocokoljic, both from FC Obilic, did not commit a criminal act of bullying or threatening Aleksandar Olarevic, head of the football club Mladi Proleter, in 2007.

The prosecution has the right to appeal the decision to the Appellate Court in Belgrade.

According to the indictment, Raznatovic threatened Olarevic while Ocokoljic hit him. The incident reportedly occurred during the takeover of ownership of Mladi Proleter. Both Raznatovic and Ocokoljic denied threatening and attacking Olarevic.

They insisted they visited Olarevic as representatives of FC Obilic to deliver a decision of the Sports Ministry. According to the Ministry decision, which Olarevic had refused to accept, FC Mladi Proleter was to come under the jurisdiction of Obilic and be renamed Mladi Obilic. 

Before the verdict, the prosecutor in his closing argument urged Raznatovic to receive the maximum fine, asking for a suspended sentence for Ocokoljic.

Wednesday's verdict caused a stir among dozens of her fans who started gathering in front of the court building early in the morning to support the singer. Most were children who had skipped classes.

Raznatovic said she was pleased with the verdict. "It happened finally that a court freed me," Raznatovic said, referring to previous court rulings.

In April 2011, the singer pleaded guilty to charges of misappropriating funds generated by player transfers from FC Obilic to foreign clubs and of illegal possession of firearms, paying a 1.5 euro million fine rather than going to jail.

She has owned the football club since the assassination of her notorious mafia boss husband, the former paramilitary leader Zeljko...