Kosovo Serb arrested "by mistake" - UNMIK police

Radio Television Serbia, Belgrade, Wednesday, January 10, 2007 19:06

 

UNMIK police spokesman Thomas Lee said that Srecko Simic from Babin Most near Obilic was detained for illegal possession of firearms, and that during questioning it was established that there was a mistake. Srecko Simic was arrested because he had the same family name as the family of Vukasin Simic in whose home weapons had been found one day earlier during a search operation involving a number of Serb houses in Babin Most after the killing of policeman Avni Kosumi near the village, said Lee at a press conference in Pristina. Lee added that during questioning Simic complained that he had been injured during the arrest; consequently he was taken to Pristina Hospital, where physicians found no major injuries.

 

"Simic complained of the use of force by the police during his detainment. This accusation is currently being investigated in detail by the Kosovo Police Service unit for work standards," explained Lee.

 

When asked whether statements had been taken from the colleagues of the KPS policemen who were with him on the night he was killed and whether Kosumi had been shot from a hunting rifle or from a smaller caliber firearm, Lee did not wish to respond, saying that an investigation was in progress and that he did not want to say anything that would interfere with it.

 

Lee also did not wish to respond to a question why police did not search several houses at the entrance to Babin Most which are owned by Albanians.