Lawmakers Back 2 Milosevic Allies

Attempts to investigate two Slobodan Milosevic allies on fraud allegations suffered a setback Tuesday when parliament refused to strip them of the immunity from prosecution that they enjoy as legislators.

In a success for the anti-Milosevic camp, however, the Supreme Court of Serbia, the dominant Yugoslav republic, rejected an appeal of the decision to extend the former president’s detention while he is investigated on allegations of fraud and abuse of power while he was in office.

On April 30, the Belgrade district court ordered Milosevic detained for two additional months past the initial 30 days he has spent in custody. The court cited fears that Milosevic might flee the country.

Milosevic is also wanted by the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague for alleged atrocities against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, Serbia’s southern province. Authorities have sent conflicting signals on whether Milosevic would be extradited but insist that he must first stand trial at home. He denies all wrongdoing.

The Yugoslav parliament vote against lifting the immunity of the two legislators reflected a rift within the government coalition--the Democratic Opposition of Serbia and a party from Montenegro, the smaller Yugoslav republic.

The Montenegrin party used to be allied with Milosevic. On Tuesday, it reverted to that stance, voting against its government coalition partner, which sought to strip Nikola Sainovic and Jovan Zebic of parliamentary immunity so they could be questioned on allegations of fraud and abuse of power.

Sainovic, a former Yugoslav deputy prime minister, also is sought by the U.N. war crimes tribunal for alleged involvement in Kosovo atrocities. Zebic is a former Yugoslav finance minister. Both are deputies of Milosevic’s Socialist Party.

Justice and police officials were not immediately available to comment on what further steps they were considering in their efforts to question the two.

Milosevic has been held in a specially refurbished cell at the Central Prison in Belgrade, the Yugoslav and Serbian capital. His associates have demanded that he be released so that he can defend himself while at liberty. They complain that his health is deteriorating in prison.