Four of six suspects charged with the murder of journalist and owner of Zagreb magazine Nacional, Ivo Pukanic, and his associate Niko Franjic, pleaded not guilty in a Zagreb court on Feb. 3.

Croatian corruption and organization crime office USKOK says Robert and Luka Matanic, Amir Mafalani, Slobodan Djurovic, Zeljko Milovanovic and Bojan Guduric committed contract hits, severe endangerment of the public, and criminal conspiracy.

Guduric and Milovanovic were not present in the courtroom. Guduric is in detention in Sarajevo after surrendering in Banjaluka, while Milovanovic is in custody in Belgrade. Milovanovic, together with Milenko Kuzmanovic and Sreten Jocic. Jocic is suspected of having financed and ordered the murder, and all three are charged with the same crimes in Serbia.

The defense has requested testimony from Croatian State Prosecutor Mladen Bajic and USKOK chief Dinko Cvitan, as they allegedly offered Robert Matanic to turn state's evidence.

On Feb. 3, Matanic told the court that the anti-corruption office tricked him by promising to make him a protected witness in exchange for false testimony. He repeated his earlier statement that Zeljko Milovanovic and Bojan Guduric committed the murder, but denied that Jocic and Montenegrin businessman Slobodan Djurovic had ordered the assassinations.

According to the indictment, Pukanic was murdered to prevent media reports in Croatia and neighboring countries about the activities of several regional criminal groups.

The trial is being held under strong security, while police were also present in nearby streets.