UN probes Milosevic millions

Kostunica: Criticised for not prioritising Milosevic arrest

The chief prosecutor at the UN War Crimes Tribunal for the Balkans has accused former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic of stealing a huge amount of money from the Serb people.

Whatever President Kostunica may say, the surrender of Milosevic is a priority

Carla del Ponte

During a speech to the UN Security Council in New York, Carla del Ponte also criticised the Yugoslav President, Vojislav Kostunica, for stating that Mr Milosevic's handover to the tribunal was not a priority.

Carla del Ponte's tribunal charged Slobodan Milosevic with involvement in war crimes last year.

Since then, her investigators have been building up a picture not just of the former Serbian leader's political and military activities but also his extensive financial network.

Milosevic: Accused by German intelligence of stealing $100m

Ms del Ponte says that many governments have assisted her tribunal, including the authorities in Cyprus, where Mr Milosevic is alleged to have had substantial assets.

She said other states had helped investigators reconstruct the former president's financial operations.

"It was not an easy task to make this reconstruction, because a huge, huge amount of money was stolen from the Serb population."

Belgrade visit

Ms del Ponte did not name a sum of money.

But last month, the German intelligence service claimed that Slobodan Milosevic and his associates had shipped at least $100m out of Serbia.

Del Ponte: Also criticised Croatia's lack of co-operation

Ms del Ponte, who was barred from travelling to Yugoslavia while Mr Milosevic was in power, said she is looking forward to discussing the fate of Mr Milosevic when she travels to Belgrade in the near future, at the invitation of President Vojislav Kostunica.

But she criticised the new Yugoslav president's remarks that it was not a priority to hand over Mr Milosevic for trial.

"Whatever President Kostunica may say, the surrender of Milosevic is a priority. It is a priority for him; it is a priority for me; and it should, in my submission, also be a priority for the Security Council of the United Nations

She warned the international community against going soft on Belgrade over the need to co-operate with her tribunal, arguing that any softening of the position would encourage other governments in the Balkans to withdraw their co-operation.

Ms del Ponte also called on Croatian President Stipe Mesic to "return to the path of full co-operation with the tribunal", accusing him of refusing the tribunal access to witnesses and evidence.

She also noted Nato-led forces in Bosnia were arresting fewer indicted war criminals than in the past, with no arrest having taken place since June.