Milosevic investigation moves to new phase

The Serbian interior minister, Dusan Mihajlovic, says police have completed their investigation into charges of fraud and theft of state property against the former Yugoslav president, Slobodan Milosevic.

Mr Mihajlovic told the BBC that the next stage of the process will be for an investigating magistrate to assess the evidence and decide whether or not to press charges.

Yesterday the authorities ordered a probe of allegations that Mr Milosevic smuggled more than a million dollars worth of gold abroad last year, around the time he was ousted by a popular uprising. The BBC Belgrade correspondent says Milosevic could be jailed for up to five years if he is convicted on charges of illegally acquiring property.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service