An ally of Slobodan Milosevic was quoted as saying today he expected the ousted Yugoslav leader to be freed from jail on May 1st, a month after he was arrested on charges of corruption and abusing his position.
"We expect the president to be released, simply because there is no reason for him to be there anymore," Mr Zivorad Igic, a senior official of Milosevic's Socialist Party, was quoted as saying by the Beta news agency.
Mr Milosevic, ousted in a popular uprising last October, was arrested on April 1 and remanded in custody for 30 days by an investigating judge. The former Yugoslav leader has denied all allegations against him.
The 30-day period is standard for suspects in Serbian criminal cases. After this the judge can decide to extend the period if he thinks it necessary. Mr Igic's statement made clear he believed it would not be extended.
The judge has to hear all those who are relevant in this investigation and decide about the detention, he told a news conference, Beta said.
Serbian Justice Minister Vladan Batic, speaking later today in an interview to Belgrade's Studio B television, said Mr Milosevic was unlikely to be released.