Crime

Speaking of crime, Milosevic said the following:

"The citizens must know that this state will implement its laws very strictly. We cannot allow despotism to reign in the country, but must ensure that laws rule supreme. The state must be strict, and it must be just. We are doing everything to liquidate all forms of crime and corruption in the interests of a normal life in this country.

With this in mind, I greet you heartily and wish you a Happy New Year."

After Milosevic announced his drive against crime, Serbian Prime Minister Nikola Sainovic said in his speech: "Serbia will be a country of social justice. This Government is faced with a very important task and that is a battle against rising crime and other socially dangerous phenomena."

Not long after this, the Serbian Police arrested two ministers in Sainovic's government. The nature of the police investigation is best illustrated by the fact that nearly a year after their arrest, the case against the two ministers has not been concluded. The so-called ministerial scandal is clouded by the mysterious death of Branimir Vukovic, the "Jugodrvo" representative in Budapest and one of the witnesses. It is assumed that Vukovic received money directly. The second victim of the scandal was "Jugodrvo" financial sector assistant general director Radovan Nikolic. According to the police report, Nikolic committed suicide.

Excerpt from the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) Program

"The Socialist Party of Serbia urges a society of free people who will be equal in all walks of life. With this in mind, Socialism is just another expression for the ultimate achievements of Democracy. Socialism's goals are liberation from exploitation, poverty, inequality, injustice, fear of police and any other violence, bureaucratic arbitrariness and other misfortunes affecting man. At the same time, Socialism battles against all kinds of crime, privileges, protection, nepotism and other phenomena unacceptable in a Socialist society. The Socialist Party of Serbia represents the deepest interests of the people, especially the workers, the intelligentsia and the peasants, in short, all those who live by their labor."

Murders

Branislav Matic Beli - owner of a chain of car dumps, financed the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO).

Zorz Stankovic - former boxer, owned jack pot machines.

Aleksandar Knezevic Knele - mobster, collected racket.

Radojica Nikcevic - owner of Pingvin radio station and close to Italian boss Di Steffano, a long time Secret Police operative.

Branislav Zubovic Zuba - thug

Nedeljko Kosovic and Branislav Milanovic (during the March 9, 1991 demonstrations) and policeman Milorad Nikolic (during the July 1-2, 1993 demonstrations).

Kidnapping

Iso Lero (June 1992), owned private detective agency.

Seventeen Muslims, villagers from the village of Sjeverin, from a bus on the Rudo-Priboj road (October 22, 1992).

Twenty-five men kidnapped from the Belgrade-Bar train at a place called Strpci (February 27, 1993). After meeting with the families of the kidnapped men, Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic promised that a search would be mounted to "the end of the earth, to find the perpetrators". Minister of Police Zoran Sokolovic said three months later: "We have no information, the investigation has not yielded any results, but we have arrested a number of men recently".

Dusan Reljic (September 21, 1993), VREME's foreign editor.

Veljko Dzakula (February 4, 1994), a minister in the Republic of Serb Krajina Government.

Dossiers

During the debate on the draft Law on Internal Affairs (July 16, 1991), several deputies demanded that secret police dossiers be made public. Serbian Radical Party (SRS) leader Vojislav Seselj said: "Open the secret dossiers, and let us see who are the informers, at least among the deputies and party leaders". His proposal was supported by Mihajlo Kov