Haftbefehl gegen mutmaßlichen Agenten des ehemaligen Jugoslawien wegen Verdachts der Beihilfe zum Mord an einem Exilkroaten 1983 18/2005.

Der Generalbundesanwalt beim Bundesgerichtshof führt seit Mitte 2004 umfangreiche Ermittlungen im Zusammenhang mit der Ermordung von Exilkroaten in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland in den Jahren 1983 und 1989. Beamte des Bayerischen Landeskriminalamts haben am 7. Juli 2005den kroatischen
Staatsangehörigen Krunoslav P.(Prates) (55 Jahre alt) aus Münchenfestgenommen.
Der Ermittlungsrichter des Bundesgerichtshofes hatte gegen ihn am 6. Juli 2005 Haftbefehl wegen des Verdachts der Beihilfe zum Mord erlassen. Der Beschuldigte wurde am 7. Juli 2005 dem Ermittlungsrichter des Bundesgerichtshofes vorgeführt, der ihm den Haftbefehl eröffnet und am 8. Juli 2005 Haftfortdauer angeordnet hat.

Der Beschuldigte Krunoslav P., der seit 1971 in Deutschland lebt, war von 1975 bis mindestens 2000 für einen Geheimdienst des ehemaligen Jugoslawien nachrichtendienstlich tätig. Er ist dringend verdächtig, im nachrichtendienstlichen Auftrag einem bislang unbekannten Täter Beihilfe zum Mord an dem in Deutschland lebenden exilkroatischen Schriftsteller Stjepan Djurekovic geleistet zu haben. Djurekovic war in führender Position in der kroatischen Emigrantenszene tätig. Er hatte innerhalb westeuropäischer jugoslawischer Emigrantenkreise zum gewaltsamen Widerstand gegen den jugoslawischen Staat aufgerufen.

Djurekovic wurde am 28. Juli 1983 in einer als Druckerei genutzten Garage in Wolfratshausen durch mehrere Schüsse und Schläge auf den Kopf getötet. Der Beschuldigte soll wenige Tage vor der Tat in Kenntnis des Tötungsplanes seinen nachrichtendienstlichen Auftraggebern in Luxemburg einen Nachschlüssel für das Anwesen in Wolfratshausen übergeben haben, um so dem Täter den Zutritt zu der Druckerei, in der Djurekovic sich regelmäßig aufhielt, zu ermöglichen.Die Ermittlungen richten sich darüber hinaus gegen einen weiteren Beschuldigten aus Nürnberg. Er steht im Verdacht, im Auftrag eines Geheimdienstes des ehemaligen Jugoslawien als Agent mit dem Decknamen \”Karlo\” den in Deutschland lebenden Exilkroaten Anto Djapic getötet zu haben.

Anto Djapic war am 29. Juni 1989 in seiner Wohnung in Nürnberg erstochen aufgefunden worden. Dieser Beschuldigte war am 7. Juli 2005 in Nürnberg vorläufig festgenommen worden. Er wurde nach Vernehmung heute, am 8. Juli 2005, wieder entlassen. Die Bundesanwaltschaft hat davon abgesehen, einen Haftbefehl zu beantragen. Die bisherigen Erkenntnisse begründen einen Anfangsverdacht, nicht aber den für einen Haftbefehl erforderlichen dringenden Tatverdacht. Nach dem derzeitigen Stand der Ermittlungen liegen keine Anhaltspunkte dafür vor, dass die Beschuldigten gemeinschaftlich gehandelt haben. Der Generalbundesanwalt beim Bundesgerichtshof hatte die Ermittlungen der Staatsanwaltschaften München II und Nürnberg im Juli 2004 in seine Verfolgungszuständigkeit (§ 120 Abs. 2 Nr. 3 GVG) übernommen, nachdem sich zureichende tatsächliche Anhaltspunkte dafür ergeben hatten, dass die Tötungen von Stjepan Djurekovic und Anto Djapic im Auftrag eines Geheimdienstes des ehemaligen Jugoslawien durchgeführt worden sind. Mit den Ermittlungen ist das Bayerische Landeskriminalamt beauftragt.

Pavle Gazi: Djurekovic was murdered because of investigation of malversations in INA

Pavle Gazi, republic secretary of SUP of Croatia in time of Djurekovic’s murder (1983) , said that was not true the information from the book of Bozidar Spasic, Weasel that talks, that he met with Djurekovic in Bucharest, to persuade him to come back to Zagreb to testify about criminal acts of top of Comunist party of Yugoslavia, and that because of that he was replaced by Josip Vrhovec.

-The truth is that I was dealing with crime in INA at that time (at that time SUP – police, was leading the process against Vanja Spiljak, son of high comunist functionary Mika Spiljak, because of economic malversations in INA) and in that context I was interested in one Djurekovic’s book.

I didn’t meet him, although we in police and prosecutor’s office, thought that he would be useful to us as a witness about malversations with oil. In political sense, Djurekovic was insignificant, and I, who was sitting on meetings of Council for protection of constitutional order, claim that there was never any talks about him, and not to mention ordering of his murder.

He was murdered because of his cognitions about oil business, and about that Mika Spiljak knows much more, who at that time was «shooting» on place of President of Yugoslavia, and whose son Vanja was involved in muddily business in INA, said Pavle Gazi in his statement to me.

He repeted several times that Milka Planinc and Council for protection of constitutional order, had nothing to do with Djurekovic’s murder, but that the murder, was most likely organised by informal line.

1. Interview:ĐUREKOVIĆ JE UBIJEN “IZVAN PROTOKOLA

“Vjerujem da je ubojstvo Stjepana Đurekovića dogovoreno i odrađeno na neformalnoj razini moći. Nakon toga su prekinuti i pravosudni postupci vezani uz našu istragu s malverzacijama naftom u INA-i u kojima su glavne uloge imali Vanja Špiljak i Vojko Santrić, a ja sam lagano stavljen na led. Baš kad je njemački ministar unutarnjih poslova dr. Zimmermann stigao kod nas na krstarenje, a s nama je bio i Dolanc, dogodilo se ubojstvo Stjepana Đurekovića. Naravno da se njemački ministar istog trena vratio u svoju zemlju i da mu nije palo na pamet da dođe u lov na koji smo ga pozvali…

21. srpnja, 2005. Željko PERATOVIĆ

Croatian President Stjepan Mesic flanked by HRT Director General Mirko Galic and EBU Secretary General Jean Stock

After being forced to leave the Globus, a weeklymagazine -to the censorship of the chief editor Mirko Galic (the end of 1999), I got position with the Fokus, yet another weekly magazine, whose editor in chief was Mladen Maloca who was theeditor in chief of the most appreciated Yugoslav weekly magazine- Danas – printed and edited in Zagreb anddistributed from Zagreb.

But the Fokus owner is Marinko Mikulic, one of deputy presidents of the Association of Catholic Employer sand member of the HIP (Croatian Identity and Prosperity) Party – a right wing political party, which leader is the son of late Croatian president Franjo Tudjman, (Miroslav) and the head of the Croatian Information Service – one of the secret HDZ political polices.

The editor in chief Mladen Maloca and his deputy Vanja Sutlic, guaranteed me freedom of writing and they keptit working until I published the last interview with Milan Levar. After that the magazine owner Mikulic changed theprofile andconcept of this weekly magazine and it was notliberally oriented news magazine – rather a catholic right wing orientednews magazine full of speech hate against the Croatian president Mesic, the Hague Tribunal, the Racan government.

Because ofexistential reasons I was forced to work for the sameweekly for over some time. When my one year contractwith this weeklyexpired, the directorship of the same weekly signedwith me a new contract although I told them – if mywriting not of anyinterest to them, I could leave the weekly without anycompensation. But that time deputy of the editor inchief Vanja Sutlic told me the directorship needed me and they wanted meto sign the new contract. Having in mind that they didnot allow meto write, I asked Vanja Sutlic and the directorshipwhat to do and they told me to leave the news weekly.

Due to the factthat they owed me a of money, I did not agree to. After that, in the name of directorship, Vanja Sutlic fired me and that wayI did not have any rights except the unemploymenthealth care. Until 2004 Vanja Sutlic was the deputy of the HTV CEO Mirko Galic and the PAN Papir witness before the court inthe case against the newspaper Fokus. Mladen Maloca wasaconsultant of the government owned Tisak company – thelargest distributer of newspapers in Croatia. Mladen Maloca will appear before the court in the role of witness -on behalf of his former employer Marinko Mikulic.

Mikulic’s close friend accused and jailed General Norac andmade several times public statement accusing me and myfriend Levar for imprisonment (Rijeka prison) of his friend Mirko Norac. On my behalf the Croatian Journalists Labour Union whose attorney is Orhideja Martinovic sues the PAN Papir Company. Up to now, a number of my colleagues testified before court.

Slobodna Dalmacija, Friday,February 15, 2002.

In the case of the Vjesnik journalist against the Fokus news weekly testified Drago Pilsel too in the Fokus possession “remained” 80 thousands kunas

ZAGREB – By the free lance journalist and the Forum 21 president Drago Pilsel testimony at the County Court the investigation was continued in the case where today’s Vjesnik journalist Zeljko Peratovic sues the new weekly Fokus owner- the PAN Company – for 80 thousands kunas of theunpaid salary. Reportedly, Peratovic claims that he was fired due tothe censorship carried by Vanja Sutlic, now employedby the HTV as deputy of the editor in chief of the Informative Program. Karlos Zvonimir Pilsel, better known by Drago name, was a free lance journalist working for the Fokus weekly, andaccording to him, one of the founders and editors ofthe same news weekly starting with the news weeklyfirst issuein January 2000 until September of the same year.

- Peratovic was coming to work each day, he finishedall his tasks alone, and sometimes we worked togetheron thesame tasks. The salary was paid put in envelope, ofblue or white colour, and it happened that I havegotten foodstamps that can be spent only in the discount shop ofthe Fokus owner – the PAN Company. The monthlysalaries werenever on time and regularly paid and only a smallerpart of the salary was deposited at the checkingaccount. By thecontract my salary was 7 000 kunas, and according tothe Peratovic’s contract – his salary was 10 000 kunas- explained the salary payments circumstances that timedeputy president of the HND.

His employment, as he stated, was also terminated dueto the censorship – for he protested against thepressure madeby the Djakovo bishop. During of the month of August, 2000 the profile and concept of the news weekly wasbeingchanged, claimed the witness, and the new men came whomade him and Peratovic not possible to normally work.

- I want to stress that there was an institutionalcensorship in the Fokus and journalist Peratovic was systematically ignored – concluded Pilsel.

by Neven Pavelic

Drago Pilsel, former contributor to Fokus:

Maloca Washed His Hands

Bishop Marin Srakic openly criticized Mikulic because of Fokus’ editorial policy, and he in turn pressured Maloca to get rid of me. I found out that Mikulic was upset because I on one occasion reprinted an article by late Fr. Luka Vincetic, who used to write for Feral, the paper Mikulic abhors.

As I live from the money I earn as a journalist, I accepted the idea of starting a new news magazine that would among other include religious content, so that in February 2000 I joined Fokus as an editor of the religion section of the magazine. I had an agreement with the editor-in-chief Mladen Maloca and his deputy Vanja Sutlic that I was supposed to be a member of the editorial board and in my section be tolerant of other religious communities, instead of focusing only on the dominant, Catholic community. I published articles by numerous authors that are otherwise not admired by the Catholic bishops. However, I believed that they were interesting and also true believers.

My open editorial style and my writing was disliked by the owner, Marinko Mikulic. I also found out that Mikulic was sort of a protégé of some bishops, and especially of Djakovo-Srijem bishop Marin Srakic.

On one occasion bishop Srakic attacked the idea of introduction of the subject religious culture into public schools, claiming that children from mixed marriages, those who are neither Serbs nor Croats but something in between, those who do not know either their nationality or religion,were advocating the introduction of such a subject. We were shocked by such an abuse of ethnicity and religion and published the bishop’s statement with a short commentary in the article entitled Religious Instruction for Yugo-nostalgics.

That was allegedly the fuse, as bishop Srakic openly criticized Mikulic because of the material published in Fokus (I have been told that he was not the only one), and he in turn exerted pressure on Maloca to get rid of me. I later found out that Mikulic was especially upset that I had on one occasion reprinted an article by late Fr. Luka Vincetic, who used to write for Feral, the paper Mikulic abhors.

All in all, I soon realized that I was wasting my time in Fokus, but I stayed for a few more months trying to recover some of the unpaid wage arrears. Therefore, I was fired in September 2000, after the owner’s and bishop’s pressure on the editorial board with the following explanation: Screw it Drago, that’s how it is!

Soon afterwards Mikulic paid the wages he owed me, but he refused to pay several thousand kunas of traveling expenses I made with Sutlic’s and Maloca’s approval. As far as that is concerned, Maloca very elegantly washed his hands.

Feral Tribune, by Drago Hedl, May 19, 2001

Novi List, April 9, 2002 Black Cronicle

By Testimony of Former Fokus Journalist Continued Process through which Journalist Peratovic Claims more than 80 000 Kunas from News Weekly Fokus Owner

“Not getting along came after Peratovic’s writingabout killing of Milan Levar”

ZAGREB – The process through which now Vjesnik journalist Zeljko Peratovic claims more than 80 000 kunas from the Fokus owner on account of unpaidsalary was continued on the County Courtin Zagreb by testimony of former journalist of thesame news weekly – Tifani Simunovic.

The witnesssaid she was the Fokus regular employee from thebeginning of 2000 until July 31, 2001 when shesigned the contracts guarantying her a predefinedsalary.

- Latter we learned that we were officially entitledto only 2 500 kunas and the rest of salary waspaid in cash. The part of salary was paid in checks ofthe PAN company that could be spent onlyin the discount shops of the same company – said Tifani Simunovic adding that the directorshipwas willingly waiting on Peratovic’s mistake inorder to fire him – taking in account that notgetting along with Peratovic came after his writingabout the Milan Levar homicide.

She added that several journalists heard that time Domestic Politics Column editor Ratko Peter, who , after not getting Peratovic on phone, yelled asif he would get what he (Peratovic) deserves.

- Some time later, Peratovic was fired – said the witness noting that Peratovic that morningcalled them and told them that he had virosis, but,the editorship used this moment to get rid of him.

On the next court session Vanja Sutlic now editor onthe HTV whom Peratovic named as a personwho carried the censorship for what Peratovic was fired – should appear before the judge.

by Vilim Cvok

Or, on the other side, a man shoots a bullet in head of a nineteen-year-old boy, and on trial the gun was lost, for what nobody is responsible, and in the end that killer get not full five years in prison. What kind of logic is that!? Let Minister Skare Ozbolt think over that and say what should be done to gain same standards of processing.

Stjepan Mesic, Feral Tribune, 1st July 2005

Namely, Mesic’s too general explanation to medias, after he recently amnestied four war criminals – that social circummstances has changed, actually suggests that Mesic has considered the fact that the same criminal acts, with different punishments, were penalised in 90-ies and today.

-The verdicts for war crime against civil population, in processes in which the accused one was burdened by commanding responsibility, and not for personally commited crimes, in the nineties were given 20 years in prison, and today for the same crimes are given 10 years in prison. Courts, of course, can’t change the decisions from that time, but it can be taken in consider in amnesty. Couldn’t, than, such change of social circummstances, consider as a reason for amnesty?, asked the source of our papers, close one to President of Croatia.

Boris Pavelic, Novi list, 1st July 2005.

I almost forget.

Ivan Zvonimir Cicak, in Saturday’s column in Jutarnji list, claims that international community recognized results which with its work, to leadership of POA, showed Tomislav Karamarko.
What are the results? Who recognised it in international community? As far as I know, from Bruxelless, about Tomislav Karamarko, laudably spoke only Ines Sabalic.

Carla Del Ponte nicely said to Mladen Bajic when he is going to have something more concrete about Gotovina’s salaries in Italy (investigation made by Tomislav Karamarko) to let her know. And what is he going to tell her when he didn’t send Gotovina’s DNA to Italy, nor DNK from supposed general-lovers trousers to him. It must be that Ivo Sanader keep in a little distance Cicak, because he didn’t warn him that exactly from international community was said to him to give up placing Karamarko for chief of police (or, God save, bigger evil, Minister of Homeland security), about what Prime Minister informed only Davor Butkovic.

- murder of Srbislav Petrov, 2nd September 1991.
- The same year in November Barun was arrested
- In December 1992. Barun was convicted on nine years on County court in
Rijeka
- In August 1993. Supreme court abolished the verdict of County court
- In 1994. Barun got out of custody, because at that time state prosecutor, Vladimir Seks, changed the qualification of self-interest murder in plain
murder
- Barun was free since 1994. till 20th August 2003., when he was convicted again on eight years in prison
- On 22nd October 2004. got out of custody after five years, because Mesic «has forgiven» three years

Branko Skoric, Novi list, 10th November 2004.

On the left to the right seated – President’s advisers: Tomislav Jakic and Budimir Loncar; Georg Soros and President Stjepan Mesic (Over the years, Soros has supported a number of initiatives in Croatia worth more than 45m dollars)

With crimes is also acquainted Ivan Zvonimir Cicak, claims Milan Levar in interview for Vecernji list. Namely, Cicak knew for combusting of bodies in Sisak’s Ironmonger, for combusting on dumpsite in Zadar, for rides with tankcontainers of Ina, but he has never said that. Not only because he is Tihomir Oreskovic’s best man, but also because he said that every year President Tudjman signed operations of Cicak and HHO for next year.
So, those were concessions to cover up Gospic, Levar concluded.

Andrea Latinovic & Marija Pulic amd Vjesnik, 11th April 2000

On these claims of Milan Levar, Ivan Zvonimir Cicak reacted in column which was published for him by Nacional

Already the next day of «Oluja» I published the article in which I warned that result of it shouldn’t be ethnic cleansing.

Several days later, after Gospic’s crime, I have published the article under title «Where are Gospic’s Serbs disappearing», and further informations about Gospic I was delivering personally to ICTY’s investigators.>

Training field of democracy

written by Ivan Zvonimir Cicak

It is very interesting that exactly on Monday, 10th April, in the publication of action Kameleon, in Vecernji list appeared text about Gospic, where in the main role was Mr Levar. There was a little coincidence that the same thesis about me, which he gave in Vecernji, brought out last Friday by Vjeko Magas*, as if they arranged it or as if somebody synchronized their statements.

Levar, and also Magas, call me by name that I knew for Gospic’s crime, but I didn’t do anything, bringing that in connection with best man’s relationships with Tihomir Oreskovic. I would like to remind Levar that I am the first man in Croatia, that is in Slobodna Dalmacija, several days after Gospic’s crime, have published the text under title Where are Gospic’s Serbs disappearing.

In that time Levar was together with Oreskovic and those whom he is accusing today for war crimes.

Money for testifying

Concerning further informations about Gospic, I personally gave them, like did other activists of HHO (Croatian Helsinki Committee), to ICTY’s investigators, but about that, of course, we weren’t informing Levar. He personally knows that I talked with investigators when they were in Zagreb.

But I couldn’t make possible to Levar and some of his friends, to get money for their testifying, and what they were asking for. Namely, if anybody, in any way, indemnify any of witnesses, he would stop to be a relevant witness in ICTY.

Sisak’s ironmonger

Concerning Gospic itself and Levar’s role, we have to ask ourselves how on Saturday in Gospic came ICTY’s investigators, what was published in newspapers from Tuesday, and that Mr Levar on Monday, through publication of action «Kameleon», Vecernji, attracted medias’ attention on Gospic.

With Mrs Carla Del Ponte, and other representative of Tribunal, I talked about danger which could threat to any investigation, if in any way is made media’s pomp around some actions. First of all, Croatia is still wounded from crimes which was done to Croats and by instrumentalisation is possible to move grumblers to organise protests and try to block investigations of Haag’s tribunal. Such yoghurt revolutions we have seen before during first arrival of Carla Del Ponte, or during pronouncement of sentence to Blaskic.

Levar called me by name in Vecernji, claiming that I knew for combusting of bodies in Sisak’s ironmonger, for combusting on dumpsite in Zadar, for rides of tankcontainers of Ina, but that I have never said that to anyone. How can he know to whom I have told and what we did connected to that matter.

He and Magas are saying the same things. Concerning Sisak’s ironmonger, there is a story that Croatian governments after action Bljesak there were combusting bodies of Serbs massacred in actions of Croatian aviations, that was in sacks, by special convoy, transported to Sisak and combusted. Unfortunatelly, that information was not possible to be confirmed, and we are not telling baby- stories.

Public is familiar that in HHO was done an investigation, much more expansive than this detail, about happenings on area of Sisak since 1991. till today.

Relevant evidences

Concerning supposed combusting of bodies on Zadar’s dumpsite, that information is not accurate, our activists were on the field and tried to carry out detailed investigation about that, there is also documents about that. Also there is documentation, special reports, about some unusual events on Zadar’s graveyard.
All that is very neatlly photodocumented, and that documents, in presence of colleague Prodanovic, I gave where I supposed to give.

So, Mr Levar shouldn’t put himself in judge’s place, but also not as a public squealer, who would denunciate work of HHO and me personally. And to information that Tudjman every year signed operations of HHO and me personally, I don’t want to comment, because it is not only nonsense, but more than that.

But it is obvious that both Mr Levar and Magas have some relevant evidences and facts about mass crimes.

Levar goes so far that he directly accuses Norac for serious war crimes, murders of Serb civilians and mining of houses.

Levar nor Magas, after democratic elections, with their informations, didn’t go where citizens of this country should and had to go, and that is Ministry of police or at least State prosecutor’s office. So, in this way I ask from Minister Lucin and state attorney Zivkovic to start actions for collecting facts connected with public statements of Magas and Levar, and in accordance with informations taken from them, start adequate measures.

Nacional, 12th April 2000

* Vjeko Magas, longtime coworker of Ivan Zvonimir Cicak, at first in HSS (Croatian Peasant Party), and than in HHO. Fired from HHO under pressure of Ivan Zvonimir Cicak. Leads a work process with HHO. In that process lawyer of HHO is Veljko Miljevic, who is at the same time a member of chairmanship of that organisation. (p.s. Z.P.)