Media confusion in Belgrade

The raid took place in the media spotlight

By Nenad Sebek in Belgrade

The Belgrade media were the first to pick up the story early on Friday evening.

Dozens of local journalists converged on the Milosevic villa in the capital's exclusive suburb of Dedinje. Live phone-ins were soon aired on most of the radio and TV stations, but there were no live pictures from the spot.

At about 2000 local time (1800 GMT), the independent B92 radio and television station said Mr Milosevic had been arrested, and shortly afterwards the same news was heard on state-run television.

That was when the confusion began in earnest, with reporters rushing downtown to the city's main courtroom and back to the residence, where they soon started ducking for cover when the first shots were heard behind the high brick walls.

No official reaction

Through the night, both the state run television and independent media continued with live reports and special programmes, but the confusion was heightened by a total lack of official reaction and a rather strange lack of interest by the goverment.

The Serbian and Yugoslav Justice Ministers, when contacted by phone, offered just a terse "no comment", and the minister of police switched off his cellphone.

Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic told reporters that he was watching the film Gladiator with his son and that he knew nothing about the arrest.