In December 1994: The pistol used to kill journalist Slavko Ćuruvija was bought in Velika Kladuša

More than four years ago, a member of the "Red Berets" unit, Dejan S., directly accused Miroslav Kurak of Slavko Ćuruvija's murder while testifying for the Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, referring to a conversation with his friend from Pančevo, Aleksandra K., who worked in Kurak's restaurants in Cyprus, reports the Patria News Agency.

This testimony only came to light with the new trials, according to Belgrade media.

– Kurak owned some restaurants in Cyprus. I'm not sure if the restaurants were in his name or if they belonged to Franko Simatović. Simatović is the godfather of Kurak's child. Miroslav came to his wife Ana and asked her for money, because he only had Cypriot pounds. She asked him where he got it, and Kurak replied: 'Do you think I killed Ćuruvija for free?' – testified Dejan S., adding that it was about 300,000 Cypriot pounds. (This would be the equivalent of 520,000 euros today).

I personally heard from Miroslav Kurak that he killed Vladan Petrović Regina. I heard this in Velika Kladuša, I think it was November or December 1994. We were in a Mitsubishi Pajero, Miroslav wanted to buy a "Glock" pistol from a man. He gave him a CZ 99 and 350 German marks. I asked him: 'Why did you do that, Miroslav?'. He told me that he had asked Frenki Franko Simatović and that he had killed Vladan Petrović with that pistol. He told me: 'The entire Belgrade criminal police is looking for this pistol.'

Kurak and Petrović had a fight near the "25. maj" swimming pool in Belgrade. A few days later, they met, and Kurak killed him. Kurak used a pistol which he later exchanged in Bosnia with a surcharge – testified Dejan S. Thus, the traces of the crime were covered up.

It is known that the Hague Tribunal reopened the proceedings against Franko Simatović and Jovica Stanišić about fifteen days ago, and released them on temporary leave a few days ago.

It is no wonder that the Red Berets moved freely around Velika Kladuša in the middle of the war. This happened in December when Fikret Abdić recaptured Kladuša with the help of units of the so-called Army of the Republic of Serbian Krajina and paramilitary units led by Simatović and Stanišić. It is believed that Abdić paid a huge sum of money for his Pyrrhic victory at that time.