Indictments raised in Senjak restaurant murder case

BELGRADE - The Higher Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade has indicted Sasa V for the heinous May 12 murder of a man identified as A N at the "27" restaurant in Belgrade's Senjak district, as well as for illegally carrying firearms and ammunition.

Sasa V is charged with the criminal offence of aggravated murder in conjunction with the criminal offence of unlawful manufacture, possession, carrying and distribution of arms and explosives, the Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

Also indicted are Mario S, Nenad L, Petar U, Vuk S and Dejan S, who are each charged with the criminal offence of assisting the perpetrator following the commission of a criminal offence.

The indictment has been submitted to the Higher Court in Belgrade for approval, and the Prosecutor's Office proposed an extension of custody for Sasa V, Mario S, Nenad L, Vuk S and Dejan S.

In the evening of May 12, after a short altercation with Sasa V at the restaurant, A N left the establishment but later returned, lured by a phone call from Sasa V, who pleaded with him to come back and reconcile with him.

Sitting at the same table with the victim, Sasa V at one point knelt down on his right knee as if to reconcile, but then produced a pistol and fired multiple rounds at A N, hitting him at least ten times.

The other indictees helped Sasa V to remove traces of the crime at the restaurant and then dispose of A N's body, which was later found in a barrel in the area of the Jarkovci village near Indjija, northwestern Serbia.

The Prosecutor's Office has also indicted former Belgrade police chief Veselin M for the crime of failure to report a criminal offence, as well as for the criminal offence of forgery of official documents.

Veselin M is suspected of consciously failing to report, on May 12, the criminal offence of aggravated murder - the killing of A N - which he had become aware of while performing his duty as assistant director of the Serbian police and Belgrade police chief, the Prosecutor's Office said.

The criminal offence potentially carries a sentence of upwards of five years in prison.

He is also suspected of submitting untrue and incomplete information about the incident in an official note made in his office on May 13.