ZAGREB, Croatia – In 2008, an explosion outside the offices of Nacional, the Croatian weekly magazine, resulted in the immediate deaths of two staffers, including the publication’s founder, Ivo Pukanić, in what Croatian prosecutors describe as an assassination planned by organized crime figures from across the Balkans.

A Croatian court convicted six men of the murder, including Slobodan Ðurović, identified as a “key middleman” by the court. Interpol and other agencies identified Ðurović as a major international crime figure known as “The Cardinal,” according to ICIJ partners. However, authorities were unable to establish who ordered and paid for the murder, despite alleging that cash from a mysterious $1.1 million transfer into Ðurović’s personal bank account was used to pay some of the assassins.

Newly revealed documents from the Cyprus Confidential leak now show that the owner of the company responsible for the $1.1 million transfer has been identified as Ognian Bozarov, a Bulgarian businessman.

The documents further indicate that Ðurović was an employee at a Serbian company owned by Bozarov for at least a year before the murder. Additionally, it has been uncovered that General Pioneer, the company responsible for the $1.1 million transfer, had paid Ðurović nearly $400,000 four months earlier. These revelations raise questions about the legitimacy of the business dealings, as it is unclear why such substantial payments were made and the circumstances surrounding them.

Bozarov denied any involvement in Pukanić’s murder and maintained that any payments made through his companies were solely for business purposes. Correspondence also suggests that the $1.1 million payment was made in haste, indicating potential irregularities.

The investigation into the murder and the subsequent revelations from the Cyprus Confidential documents underscore the complexity and international nature of organized crime networks, shedding light on the challenges authorities face in untangling these intricate webs of criminal activity. The need for continued cooperation and information-sharing among law enforcement agencies in different countries is highlighted by these developments.