VZCZCXRO3482
OO RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHVB #0749/01 2981312
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O 241312Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY ZAGREB
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8724
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ZAGREB 000749 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/24/2018 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KCRM ASEC HR DS IP EUR
SUBJECT: SECOND HIGH-PROFILE MURDER IN THREE WEEKS ROCKS 
CROATIAN POLITICS 
 
REF: ZAGREB 704 
 
Classified By: Rick Holtzapple, PolEcon Counselor, for reasons 1.4 (b) 
& (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Ivo Pukanic, a prominent and controversial 
magazine publisher, was killed in the evening of October 23, 
2008, in what is widely believed to be a murder apparently 
linked to organized crime.  The president convened the 
national security council, and in a rare move, included 
members of the opposition parties in the discussions. 
However, early press statements indicate that the government 
has few new ideas on how to tackle organized crime beyond the 
new anti-mafia laws that are already being drafted. 
Meanwhile, the second high-profile murder in less than a 
month with probable mob-connections (REFTEL), has left 
several local European officials wondering if Croatia's law 
enforcement and legal system needs more time to reform before 
Croatia is ready to enter the EU.  END SUMMARY 
 
EXPLOSION ROCKS ZAGREB 
¶2. (U) At approximately 6:30PM in evening on 23 October 2008 
a bomb exploded in a central Zagreb parking lot, killing the 
owner/publisher of Croatia's second largest news weekly 
"Nacional" as well as the magazine's director of marketing, 
Niko Franjic.  Pukanic had been under police protection for 
several months after he self-reported to police an 
assassination attempt in April, 2008. According to a police 
spokesman the police protection largely ended, with the 
consent of Pukanic, in August, 2008.  However, the "Nacional" 
Editorial Board has put out a communique that disavows that 
Pukanic had consented to cessation of the police protection, 
and claims that the MUP made the decision unilaterally.  The 
police have began an investigation of yesterday's killing, 
but at this point have not disclosed any leads or suspects. 
 
LEADERS SHOCKED 
¶3. (U) President Stjepan Mesic, who had a close personal 
relationship with Pukanic in the past, and Prime Minister 
Sanader were both taken aback by the second high-profile 
murder in less than three weeks.  The president's office 
released a statement that the "criminal underworld has 
presented the law-enforcement institutions and the entire 
system of government with an unprecedented challenge."  For 
his part, Sanader in a late night press conference stated 
that he would assign the country's most accomplished 
law-enforcement experts to the case.  The leader of the main 
opposition party, Zoran Milanovic, made a late night call to 
Sanader, emphasizing the non-partisan nature of the problem 
and indicating that his Social Democratic Party would be 
willing to support the government in cracking down on 
organized crime and restoring security to Croatia.  The 
president convened a national security council meeting on 
Oct. 24, and included members of the opposition in the 
discussions.  The council chose not to invoke a formal state 
of emergency but indicated some "emergency measures" would be 
enacted.  However, it is unclear what types of security 
measures will be taken in the near future. 
 
MEDIA SPECULATE ON CAUSE 
¶4. (U) Pukanic has long been rumored to have ties to alleged 
mobsters and other unsavory businessmen.  Local media have 
reported that much of the seed money used to start Nacional 
in 1995 had come from convicted mobster Hrvoje Petrac and 
controversial businessman/banker Nevan Barac.  The 
relationship between Pukanic and Petrac seemed to be 
confirmed by the fact Nacional has published several pieces 
over the years that were sympathetic to Petrac's opinions, 
particularly regarding controversies surrounding shady 
business dealings between indicted general Vladimir Zagorec 
and Petrac.  Most media outlets have described the death of 
Pukanic as mob assassination, and there are wide and 
disparate speculations as to the exact reason for his death. 
In addition to his past relationship with President Mesic, 
Pukanic was reputed to be well connected to a smorgasbord of 
Croatian elite, from other prominent journalists to the State 
Prosecutor Mladen Bajic. 
 
COMMENT 
¶5. (C) Regardless of the proximate cause of his murder, the 
occurrence of two brazen and high profile assassinations in 
downtown Zagreb has raised doubts among the public about 
whether the government can deal with these problems.  It may 
also damage Croatia's attempts to show readiness to enter the 
EU.  In the aftermath of the death of Pukanic, several EU 
member state ambassadors commented to the Ambassador that the 
string of organized crime related events gives pause to any 
judgment that Croatia will be ready to conclude EU membership 
negotiations in 2009.  Clearly, the increase in organized 
crime related violence has the government on its heels, and 
 
ZAGREB 00000749  002 OF 002 
 
 
the government is struggling to find effective responses.  As 
state prosecutor Bajic noted in an interview given before the 
latest killing, Croatian law enforcement has been hampered in 
fighting organized crime because these groups have 
infiltrated many law enforcement structures.  Post will 
suggest septel some ways in which we can support the GoC in 
trying to address these challenges.  END COMMENT 
Bradtke