Milosevic questioned over rival's disappearance

Ivan Stambolic vanished while jogging

BELGRADE (Reuters) -- Former Macedonian president Kiro Gligorov is reported to have asked Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic about the disappearance of a potential political rival.

The independent daily Danas quoted Gligorov's office as confirming the two had a telephone conversation, but dismissing earlier reports that Milosevic had denied links to the abduction of Ivan Stambolic.

Stambolic is a former Serbian president and one-time ally of Milosevic who disappeared on August 25.

Danas said Gligorov's office had said he had not asked Milosevic if he was involved.

Stambolic vanished 13 days ago during a routine morning jog near his Belgrade home. Some reports quoted witnesses as saying he was bundled into a van at gunpoint.

Serbia's opposition leaders have accused Milosevic's authorities of being behind the kidnapping because Stambolic had been mentioned as a possible candidate to run against the Balkan strongman in upcoming elections.

"Gligorov asked the Yugoslav president how the investigation was progressing and if there was hope the case would soon be solved," Danas quoted Gligorov's office as saying.

"Milosevic mainly spoke about how difficult the investigation was because the family had been late in notifying the police," it added.

Stambolic's wife Katarina denied on Wednesday that there had been any delay, saying she had called Milosevic's residence immediately after her husband's disappearance.

"I did that because Milosevic is head of state and because he had been my husband's friend for 25 years until they split over political stands," she told the daily Glas Javnosti.

Police have not yet issued any statement on the disappearance, but state media have suggested that Stambolic's business links with Montenegro and the Bosnian Serb Republic were behind it.

Katarina Stambolic and the family's lawyer Nikola Barovic have both dismissed such suggestions.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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