Attempt on Beko's life "looks amateurish, but may not be"

Attempt on Beko's life "looks amateurish, but may not be"

BELGRADE -- Criminologist Zlatko Nikolić says officials' statements that Milan Beko was shot "by amateurs" amount to an attempt to "reassure the public."

He told the Beta news agency that the fact the attack that left the businessman seriously injured late on Friday "looks amateurish does not mean it was."

"This about cigarette butts is reminiscent of other stories, and then the stories about whether they were brought them (to the scene) or not. It does not hold water. Whatever the police do to arrest these funny attackers or dilettantes, as they described them in advance, will not a solution to the case," thinks Nikolić.

This criminologist believes that beside making an arrest it was very important to find out who ordered the attack and what is its background.

"In all the circles where parties, politicians, businessmen move, this is the main topic. The one who did it, has already achieved their goal. We are again those pariahs, those horrid Serbs. Who will cooperate with such and do business," Nikolić told the agency.

He then added that the background of the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić "has not yet been clarified" and expressed concern that the same will be true of the attempted murder of Beko.

Nikolić added that when DNA samples are taken from the cigarette butts recovered at the scene of the shooting, "it could happen that the perpetrators are not in the Serbian database."

"Foreign police forces, regardless of bilateral agreements, will not, if it's in their interest not to, send this DNA, especially some antagonistic police forces in the region," said Nikolić.

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