Milosevic's former army chief pleads not guilty

Mr Slobodan Milosevic's former army commander has pleaded not guilty to war crimes in Kosovo today after becoming the first senior…

Mr Slobodan Milosevic's former army commander has pleaded not guilty to war crimes in Kosovo today after becoming the first senior Serbian figure to surrender to the Hague tribunal.

Mr Dragoljub Ojdanic is accused by United Nations prosecutors of leading Yugoslav and Serb forces in a campaign of terror and violence against Kosovo Albanians from 1998 to 1999.

He pleaded not guilty to four counts of crimes against humanity including murder, deportation and persecution, and one violation of the laws or customs of war.

The general had flown from Belgrade into the UN war crimes court's custody yesterday, saying he had a clear conscience and felt like a hero.

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A further five indictees are preparing to follow Mr Ojdanic to The Hague, where Mr Milosevic has been on trial since February.

The former Yugoslav president - who stands accused of atrocities in Kosovo, Bosnia and Croatia - was handed over to The Hague last June by the Serbian reformers who overthrew him in 2000.