News 02 Jul 12

Serbia Confiscates War Loot

The Serbian Prosecutor’s Office for War Crimes requested on Monday the that the property of the recently convicted war criminal Ljuban Devetak be confiscated, on the basis that it was obtained through war crimes.

Marija Ristic
BIRN
Belgrade

On the basis of an investigation initiated in 2010 by Vladimir Vukcevic, the Serbian chief prosecutor for war crimes, the prosecution alleges that Ljuban Devetak, who was found guilty of war crimes in Croatia, profited illegally from the Croatian war during the 1990s.

On June 26, the Trial Chamber of the Special Court in Belgrade has sentenced Devetak to a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for war crimes against civilians in the village of Lovas in Croatia.

According to the verdict, Ljuban Devetak was a commander of the civil military authority in the village and as such was responsible for the killings of 40 non-Serb civilians.

The Serbian prosecutor's office claim that Devetek's current assets exceed his actual earnings, and are valued at more than 1,500,000 dinars [13,000 Euros].

At the trail for the crimes in Lovas witnesses testified that Devetak and other members of the civil military authorities took money, jewellery and other valuables while holding the village of Lovas under siege.

The prosecution is currently running financial investigations against 161 people who are suspected of having profited financially by committing war crimes.

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Background

Timeline – Cuska Case

Timeline of events in the case against 13 former Serb fighters charged with committing war crimes in the villages of Cuska, Zahac, Ljubenic and Pavlac in Kosovo in 1999.

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