Serb Fugitive May Testify Against Diplos Who Helped Him Flee U.S.
Miladin Kovacevic pleads guilty and sentence reduced from 8 to 2 years.
BELGRADE, Serbia Sept. 27, 2010— -- A Serbian man who fled to his home country after beating a New York college student into a coma pleaded guilty today, and his lawyer left open the possibility that he could testify against Serb diplomats who helped him escape from the U.S.
"I am guilty," Miladin Kovacevic told Judge Ivana Ramic in a hearing today in a Belgrade court room. The hearing was scheduled for a time after Kovacevic passed an exam at the law school he is attending.
Kovacevic initially faced a possible eight years in jail, but under a deal, he will receive a two year sentence. He was charged with inflicting "severe bodily harm with possible deadly consequences." Two additional charges will be dismissed.
Kovacevic's lawyer Borivoje Borovic did not rule out that Kovacevic could testify against Serb diplomats who have been charged with abusing their positions when they hastily issued travel documents to Kovacevic after the assault.
"What is important is that Miladin Kovacevic will not be charged with obtaining fake passport and influencing the abuse of power, nor he will testify against indicted Serb diplomats," Borovic told ABCNews.com. "That is not a part of plea bargain deal. However, if he wants to he can testify if the court approaches him."
Two former Serbian diplomats, Slobodan Nenadovic and Igor Milosevic, pleaded not guilty on Sept. 16 to charges of abusing their positions. They are scheduled to go on trial Oct. 18.
Bozo Prelevic, executive director of the League of Experts, thinks that the court must resolve a core problem that Kovacevic fled the U.S. with the clearance of Serb government officials.
"The court has to determine who is to blame for allowing the escape of Kovacevic to happen," Prelevic said. "Only then will Serbia be a country whose judicial system will be respected and well regarded by the U.S."
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