Serb Strongman Seizes Federal Police Ministry

Heavily armed police loyal to Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic took control of the federal Interior Ministry building Monday in a move that may foreshadow an attempt to depose federal Prime Minister Milan Panic.

The action by Milosevic forces has been explained publicly as a dispute between the republic and federal governments over ownership of the police ministry building. But in view of the increasingly tense power struggle between Milosevic and Panic, the takeover sparked fears that the Serbian strongman might be laying the groundwork for a coup.

By invading the Interior Ministry building after nightfall Sunday and disarming federal police officers on duty, the Milosevic forces have flouted Panic’s limited authority over his own government institutions.

In a statement issued through the Tanjug news agency, Panic’s government said it “strongly condemns the violent takeover” and demands immediate restoration of federal authority over the property.

“The federal Interior Ministry is now unable to perform its legal and constitutional functions, which gravely threatens one of the vital state and security functions of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia,” the statement said.

Panic’s spokesman, David Calef, said the prime minister had no immediate comment on the incident.

Asked if the Serbian takeover might signal an attempt to wrest power from Panic, Calef replied, “I wouldn’t engage that one way or the other.”

Panic, a naturalized U.S. citizen who left his Costa Mesa-based pharmaceuticals empire in July to lead the government of his native Yugoslavia, made a mysterious detour in his travel plans Sunday when he returned to Belgrade from Geneva, where he had been expected to remain for Yugoslav peace talks that will continue throughout the week.

Calef denied that Panic’s early return had anything to do with the Interior Ministry situation.

“The two are not related to one another,” he said. “His business in Geneva was concluded.”

Calef said Panic planned to leave again Wednesday for an official visit to Austria and then return to Geneva for further negotiations with U.N. special envoy Cyrus R. Vance and European Community mediator Lord Owen, joint chairmen of the Yugoslav peace talks.

The struggle for control of the ministry follows a critical blow to Milosevic’s prestige delivered by Yugoslav President Dobrica Cosic last week. Cosic, an esteemed writer and prominent nationalist once closely allied with the Serbian president, called on Milosevic to resign for the good of the nation.

The Serbian Orthodox Church and prominent members of the Serbian Academy of Sciences had earlier distanced themselves from Milosevic, who is accused by Western leaders of fomenting ethnic violence in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Cosic and Panic have joined forces in hopes of ousting Milosevic and getting the United Nations to lift the harsh sanctions imposed five months ago against Serbia and Montenegro, the last two republics remaining in Yugoslavia.

While Belgrade was gripped by rumors of a possible coup, Serbian and federal officials played down the seizure as a dispute over property rights. The Serbian move followed a ruling by a municipal court that the federal Interior Ministry had to abandon the building by Oct. 15.

“Exclusively at issue is the resolution of property legal relations,” said a Serbian government statement, citing the court decision.

The takeover fueled speculation that the Serbian police were trying to confiscate federal police archives. Those files are believed to contain incriminating evidence against top Serbian politicians that could be used in war crimes trials being called for in international circles.

Security around the ministry building appeared normal after the takeover, although those guarding it were reportedly Serbs from Croatia. Telephone calls to the main switchboard were unanswered, and federal employees were barred from entering the building.

There was no unusual police or military presence in Belgrade, which is both the federal and Serbian capital.

Former Deputy Interior Minister Mihalj Kertes, a close Milosevic ally who was fired by Panic in August, was seen entering the building.

Special correspondent Silber reported from Belgrade and Williams from Vienna.