Serbia Police Probe Drug Lord Links to Bulgaria Energy Tycoon

Serbian newspaper ‘Blitz’ reported that Josic’s business ties will also be investigated including with Bulgarian energy tycoon Hristo Kovachki. Photo by BGNES

Serbian secret police are currently checking the secret bank accounts of alleged Balkan drug lord Sreten Josic aka Joca Amsterdam according to sources in Belgrade.

The Serbian police have allegedly begun a financial investigation to establish the true wealth of Josic by delving into real estate companies, secret safes in Serbia and abroad as well as his privatization dealings.

Serbian newspaper ‘Blitz’ reported that Josic’s business ties will also be investigated including with Bulgarian energy tycoon Hristo Kovachki.

Josic is currently on trial for the murder of the owner of the Croatian magazine "National" Ivo Pukanic.

Josic was detained at the end of April on charges of being an accomplice in the murder of Pukanic.

Ivo Pukanic, owner and editor-in-chief of the Croatian weekly "Nacional" and the publication's marketing director Niko Franic were killed by a car bomb on October 23 last year in downtown Zagreb.

Kovachki, who is charged with with tax crimes amounting to BGN 16 M for the 2005-2008 period from four of his businesses, appeared in Sofia City Court in April, but scorned the questions of the journalists regarding his links to organized criminals.

Kovachki, whose party failed to win seats in July's parliamentary election, has diverse business interests, ranging from manufacturing to banking and from energy to retail. He owns the Thermal Plants "Maritsa-Iztok 3" in Dimitrovgrad and "Bobov Dol", several mines, as well as the heating utilities in Vratsa, Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo and Pleven, the grocery chain "Evropa" and the "Atomenergoremont" company.

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