By Vesna Peric Zimonjic
BELGRADE, Jan 18 2000 (IPS)

Speculation abounds following the weekend murder of Serbian warlord Zeljko Raznatovic Arkan who died in a hail of bullets in the lobby of a Belgrade hotel.

The assassination was carried out cleanly and swiftly, gangster style, leaving behind few clues or evidence that would point to the assassins or their motives.

Police say given Arkan’s chequered life the list of suspects is endless and chances of bringing those responsible to the book slim.

However since the assassination conspiracy theories continue to flourish in all circles all with one common thread – the belief that the assassination is another in a string of murders that will remain unsolved.

One theory is that Raznatovic became a nuisance to the government who generously supported his rise from an alleged criminal to warmonger turned businessman.

Another theory is that he fell prey to the underworld and Mafia connections as he was once implicated in a drug smuggling ring through Serbia into western Europe.

Political analysts say that years of isolation and sanctions has resulted in Serbia becoming an increasingly criminalised society with connections between government and the underground becoming increasingly apparent.

Analysts say Raznatovic’s entire lifestyle was shrouded in mystery and intrigue and he apparently travelled in bullet-proof vehicles and surrounded himself with heavily armed body guards.

But the most common theory prevailing is that Raznatovic was killed because he was allegedly about to cut a deal with the Hague- based International Criminal Tribune and implicate President Slobodan Milosevic in war crimes.

Raznatovic’s militia force – The Tigers – was supposedly set up in the early 1990s by the Yugoslav secret police as a means of enabling President Milosevic to disassociate himself from the ethnic cleansing that was taking place.

Serbian opposition leader, Vuk Draskovic, has described the assassination as “confirmation of the existence of state terrorism in the country”.

He said murders like these were designed to create an environment of fear among the citizens and particularly among the opposition while strengthening the power of Milosevic’s dictatorship.

The leader of the Alliance for Change, Vladan Batic, said violent death had become an everyday occurrence and “such a murder will only be solved quickly if the police and judiciary functioned normally”.

“Someone is pulling the strings and deciding every morning who will be next,” he told reporters.

Goran Svilanovic, also with Alliance for Change, said Raznatovic was a man “who knew a lot and wanted to show that he was very close to the authorities”. He said the murder had obviously been carried out by professionals.

However Radmilo Bogdanovic, former Serbian Interior minister and a senior government official denied that the government was behind the assassination.

In an interview with Belgrade Independent Radio B292, Bogdanovic said the murder would be investigated thoroughly by police. “The truth must be made known. Someone has to finally say what is happening in our society,” he said.

Raznatovic is expected to be buried in a private ceremony on Thursday (Jan 20). A memorial service, open to the public, will be held at the Belgrade Syndicate Hall on Wednesday.

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