Mafalani, who was testifying via video link, told the Belgrade court that Robert Matanic, the first defendant at the Zagreb trial, had asked him to falsely implicate Jocic and Slobodan Djurovic, who is standing trial with him and Matanic in Zagreb.

Mafalani described Robert Matanic as the man who organised Pukanic's assassination. He did the same recently before the Zagreb court when he was presenting his defence.

Mafalani said that he had notified the police a few days before the assassination that he had learnt that somebody's murder had been planned but, that he had not known who would be the victim and where it would take place.

"I am not a member of any criminal enterprise led by Jocic. If I had been a member, I would not have spoken to the police. I told them that Robert was the organiser and the murder could have been prevented," Mafalani told the Belgrade court today.

Mafalani said that after his arrest he was instructed by the police not to give such a statement as this would "absolve Jocic and Djurovic and others".

Luka Matanic, one of the defendants at the trial in Zagreb, used his right not to testify as a witness in the Belgrade trial.

On 26 October 2009, the special office of the Serbian chief prosecutor issued an indictment against Jocic, Milovanovic and Kuzmanovic for conspiracy to kill Pukanic.

Jocic is believed to have paid EUR 1.5 million for preparing Pukanic's assassination.

Pukanic and his business associate Franjic were killed in the explosion of a bomb attached to a scooter parked by Pukanic's car outside the Nacional building in Zagreb on 23 October 2008. Franjic was a collateral victim.

Robert Matanic, Luka Matanic, Amir Mafalani, Slobodan Djurovic and Bojan Guduric are standing trial for this crime in Zagreb.