Testifying in the Pukanic murder trial, the businessman, Ratko Knezevic, said “circles” close to Djukanovic had threatened the journalist over a series of reports on the so-called “tobacco mafia.”
Pukanic was killed by a bomb in October 2008. The trial of the alleged killers began this month in Zagreb, following a joint Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian police operation.
Prosecutors have charged convicted criminals — Robert and Luka Matanic, Amir Mafalani, Zeljko Milovanovic, Bojan Guduric and Slobodan Djurovic, as well as the reputed boss of the Balkan underworld, Sreten Jocic — for the organization and execution of the attack.
A controversial reporter with links to organized crime, Pukanic published a series of articles on the multi-billion-dollar business of smuggling cigarettes in the Balkans starting in 2001. The reports named Djukanovic as one of the figures in the business.
“Already after the first article ... threats arrived from circles of Stanko Subotic and Milo Djukanovic,” Knezevic said.
Subotic is the alleged organizer of cigarette smuggling through the Balkans during Yugoslav wars, allegedly operating under Djukanovic’s political protection.
Knezevic had been close with Djukanovic in the past and was the tiny republic’s trade representative in London, but the two fell out. Subotic is sought by Serbia and, according to Belgrade officials, hiding in Montenegro.
Djukanovic was investigated and questioned by Italian prosecutors who looked into the trail of tobacco smuggling across the Adriatic, but as the head of government, he had immunity from possible legal action.
