Posted on 01/02/2006 5:10:02 PM PST by kronos77
Belgrade, 2 Jan. (AKI) - Serbian police have issued a warrant for the arrest of a British citizen Patrick Harpur, the director of Mobtel, Serbia's second mobile phone operator, the interior ministry said on Monday. The news follows the government's announcement on Friday that it had suspended Mobtel's operating licence. The company is owned by mobile telephony tycoon Bogoljub Karic, a murky figure who made his fortune under Serbia's former president and war crimes indictee, Slobodan Milosevic.
The government cancelled Mobtel's licence, for signing a contract with Kosovo-based businessman, Ekrem Luka, ceding mobile telephony operations in Kosovo to Luka's Mobikos firm. Luka, who is also reputed to be involved in shady business transactions, is suspected of being the main financier of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK), which in 1998 started a rebellion against Serbian rule in the Muslim-majority province. The rebellion ended with the withdrawal of Serbian forces from the province, after NATO air strikes in 1999, since which date Kosovo has been under United Nations administration.
The government alleges Karic, has jeopardised national security by ceding operations in Kosovo to Luka, who would be able to intercept all mobile phones in Serbia. Karic had left the country before the scandal broke, and is believed to be in Cyprus. The investigation has found the contract was actually signed by Harpur, and the police called him for “an informative talk” last week. After he failed to show up, the warrant for his arrest was issued, police said in a statement.
“If he’s on Serbian territory, Patrick Harpur will be found and brought to the police to give all necessary information on the signing of the contract with Mobikos,” the police statement said.
Luka and Karic both come from the Kosovo town of Pec. Luka was arrested for smuggling cigarettes and weapons in October 2002. Italian soldiers, stationed in the Pec region discovered 260 tonnes of illegal cigarettes and a quantity of weapons in his possession but the case was never brought to trial, apparently to avoid aggravating the province's overwhelmingly Muslim ethnic Albanian majority.
Karic also provoked government action by his arrogant involvement in politics and undisguised attempts to topple the government by bribing MPs. Karic founded his own political party, The Force of Serbia Movement, in 2004. He is reported to have five deputies under his control, although his party has never stood in parliamentary elections. He has bragged he will topple the government and become the next prime minister.
Harpur himself is a mysterious figure, unknown in Serbia, and his ties to Mobtel and Karic remain unclear. But Karic did have a habit of appointing foreigners to important posts, believing he would in that way stave off growing government attacks on his business empire.
Karic has vowed to return to the country next week, following the Orthodox Christmas, and there has been speculation that he might be arrested if Harpur fingers him for having ordered the deal with Luka.
Well, what do you expect, when your company's named "Mobtel?"
Can you hear me now?
Newer got that one until now:))))))))))))))))
Mob-Tel :))))))))))))))
You got me there!
Can they come and arrest the head of Verizon? Please, pretty please?
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