Lazarevic indicted for disclosing secrets to Saric's group

BELGRADE - The Serbian Prosecutor's Office for Organised Crime on Monday indicted Branko Lazarevic, former head of the interior minister's office, and three other men for disclosing police information on tracking and wiretapping of the group led by Darko Saric, charged with cocaine trafficking and money laundering.

The indictment also includes lawyer Radovan Strbac, charged with laundering Saric's money generated by drug sales, Rodoljub Radulovic, who is charged with cocaine trafficking but remains at large, as well as Boris Gara, head of the Special investigation methods service of the Criminal Police Administration of the Interior Ministry.

Branko Lazarevic was indicted for disclosing particularly confidential information on several occasions in 2008 and 2009 - when he was a member of Saric's crime group - on special evidence-gathering activities that were underway in the pre-trial proceedings, which as an official secret, the Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

Lazarevic was indicted on suspicion of criminal association and disclosure of official secrets, the statement said.

Gara is charged with unauthorised disclosure to Lazarevic of information obtained by the Service in special evidence-gathering activities on orders from an investigative judge.

Gara is charged with disclosure of official secrets.

Strbac and Radulovic are charged with inciting disclosure of official secrets.

The Prosecutor's Office proposed to the court that Rodoljub Radulovic be tried in absentia, since he is at large and sought by the Interpol.

Saric has refused to testify in the proceedings, invoking the right to avoid self-incrimination.

Saric was arrested on March 18 in a joint...