Twilight Zone In Belgrade

In September 1993 juvenile M.Dj. (age 16) complained to his relative Vladan Nikolic (age 26), a statistician from Zemun (part of Belgrade) and a football player in a minor football league, that he had no money to buy running shoes. ``I don't have any, either,'' Nikolic replied. ``And my friend Davor Zidic who is younger than me gets 300 DM a day pocket money,'' M.Dj. added. Nikolic remembered the family name Zidic. At the beginning of September Nikolic allegedly ran into his friend from the army Borislav Jokic (age 26), a student at the Mechanical Vocational School. When they saw each other the next time both men were broke and complained to each other that some people are loaded while the others live in poverty. Referring to Zidic, Nikolic stressed that ``some kids can afford to throw money away.'' Several days later Nikolic and Jokic saw Nikolic's relative M.Dj. in front of the shopping mall ``Merkator'' in New Belgrade. ``This is the kid who told me about the Zidic family,'' Nikolic said. Jokic asked the youngster to give them the address of the Zidic family, i.e. where the boy who gets 300 DM pocket money every day lives. A few days later Jokic suggested to Ilija Vujic (age 26) nicknamed Bumbar (Bumblebee) from Zemun who has no profession and no job and who had returned from the front (where he was as a volunteer) and Darko Loncaric known as Lonce also from Zemun to ``do'' (break in and rob) the flat of the Zidic family since there is between 300,000 and 500,000 DM in cash to be found there. Ivan Vujacic, an automechanic, was also there when the conversation took place but was later dropped from the scheme. Bumbar and Lonce rented out a gun with a silencer from Branimir Mijovic (age 46), an engineer, for 200 DM on condition they returned it in a week's time (and left a 1,000 DM deposit). They bought bullets from Srdjan Radic, Jokic's brotherinlaw, who is a clerk. On December 1, 1993 Vujic and Loncaric conned their way into the flat of the Zigic family. Vujic fired the gun and killed Vera Zidic and her son Davor. The dog was killed as well. They searched the flat thoroughly but there was nothing there to be found, neither gold nor money. Jokic, who had told them about the money, was obviously wrong.

The trial of six citizens from Zemun began on Tuesday at the Palace of Justice in Belgrade, in a court room where the ceiling leaks so that water drips making puddles in front of the accused. They were charged with vandalism, assistance in crime, failure to report it, and prohibited trade with arms. Ilija Vujic, called Bumbar, was the first to speak before the five member council headed by the District Court Judge Stojan Nikic.

``After returning from the front I renewed my friendship with Borislav Jokic. I was broke. Jokic told me about an apartment that is full of hard currency. I asked Darko Loncaric if he wanted to help me break into the flat,'' Vujic said.

``Did Darko accept your offer?'' Judge Nikic asked.

``He did. But, only after we checked Jokic's information about the flat. I think someone else had told him about the Zidic family, and not Vladan Nikolic.''

``What was the deal?''

``To enter the flat and scare the occupants with guns. We had not talked about liquidating anyone. (During the investigation before the investigative judge and the public prosecutor Vujic said, ``Darko and I had the deal that I shoot and liquidate everything that moves the minute we enter the flat.'') We watched the apartment for several days noting who was entering and leaving. Darko, Ivan and I made the plan how to get inside. Later we avoided Ivan because Darko heard that he worked for the police.''

``You eliminated Ivan?''

``That's correct. The idea was to get hold of a gun. In the club where we played pool I noticed that Branimir Mijovic had a gun. I had problems with the Croats who telephoned and threatened me because I took part in the war where I was wounded. Without a weapon I could not defend myself from possible attacks. Mijovic told me that the gun wasn't his but added he would lend it to me on condition I made a deposit. Mijovic knew about my problems. He gave me the gun with a silencer...''

``Did you try out the gun?''

``No, I didn't. I knew how to use it since I had an automatic gun with the silencer in the army. (During the investigation he claimed, ``Mijovic performed a little demonstration by firing two bullets through the window. He didn't have more bullets to spare.'') Jokic told me that his brother inlaw Srdjan Radic had ammunition for sale. We bought 25 bullets for 25 DM.''

``Did Jokic know why you needed the gun?''

``He only knew that we managed to get hold of one.''

``And about the silencer?''

``I can't remember.''

``Why did you need the bullets if the deal was only to use the gun to frighten the occupants of the flat?''

``In case something unpredictable happened. We checked the gun by shooting in the courtyard. The shots echoed as if there was no silencer.'' (And, during the investigation, ``After he had tried out the gun, Darko told me that the silencer was excellent and that nothing could be heard.'')

``Did you know the exact date when you were going to break into the flat?''

``At first we agreed to do it on November 29 but we remembered it was the state holiday so we decided to put it off for December 1.''

``Did the gun work?''

``Yes, it did.''

``What happened the next day?''

``Around 10 a.m. on December 1, I stopped by at Darko's place to work out the definite plan. He put some books into a bag. We planned to tell that woman over at the Zidics' place, actually Darko was supposed to, that some professor was sending books for her husband.''

``What was the final plan?''

``That it turns out to be a usual burglary without shooting. (During the investigation he said several times that they had agreed to rob the flat not leaving any witnesses alive.) I had the gun with the silencer attached to it stuck in my belt under the jacket. We entered the building and climbed to the third floor. Darko rang the bell.''

``According to the plan you were supposed to frighten them with the gun. What was Darko supposed to do?''

``He was to search the flat with the surgical gloves on his hands, find money and gold. When the woman opened the door Darko told her the story about the professor sending some books. She hadn't seen me. She removed the protective chain from the lock and opened the door. As soon as Darko got in he pushed her and tried to seal her mouth with his hand because she started to cry for help. ``Bumbar, help me,'' Darko yelled. I stormed in and tried to shut her mouth. At that moment the gun in my hand fired. Then I noticed a shadow on my left hand side and fired instinctively. You see, on the Vukovar front, we had the rule to shoot first and then look. I realized I had shot a child in the heart. I can't remember anything afterwards. (It seems that the description of the murder Ilija Vujic Bumbar provided during the investigation is more credible, ``Darko was hitting the woman with his hands and calling for help. I pulled out the gun and fired from the distance of about five or six feet in the right side of her chest. From what I learned on the front I knew that she would stay alive for a little while and be able to tell us where the money is hidden. When I fired the first shot I noticed a boy walking towards me. I shot and hit him in the heart from about six feet away. He fell on his back and didn't move. Then the dog turned up, it barked and bit my finger. I killed it with five bullets and reloaded the gun. Then I closed and locked the door. Darko carried the wounded woman to the boy's room insisting that she tells him where the money is. In the meantime I searched the flat and found nothing. Fifteen minutes later Darko called me and told me to kill the woman although she hadn't told him where the safe with the money and gold was located. I fired a bullet in her head, pointblank. We searched the flat again but didn't find anything. I washed the blood off my hands in the kitchen.'') I only remember Darko telling me, ``Bumbar, let's go, there's no money here.'' ''

``Do you remember the dog?''

``No. My mind was completely blocked. Darko told me later that I had killed the woman, the kid, and the dog.''

``You are fast at the trigger.''

``I am. I was a saboteur in the army. I've got good instincts. I went to the front around Vukovar and Knin out of patriotic motives. To fight for the Serb cause, and not to loot and rob... I was a volunteer in the army and got wounded when we were cleansing one village.''

The trial continues.

The Accused: Ilija VujicBumbar, Darko LoncaricLonce, Borislav Jokic, Branimir Mijovic, Vladan Nikolic, Ivan Vujic and Srdjan Radic.