Warlord's wife admits embezzling from Serb football deals

Serbia's folk music queen Ceca, real name Svetlana Raznatovic, yesterday admitted embezzling millions from the sale of footballers.

The diva, famous for her "turbo-folk" music, plunging necklines and marriage to one of the country's most notorious warlords pled guilty to defrauding her late husband's club FK Obilic and will spend one year under house arrest and pay a €1.5 million (1.3m) fine, the largest ever imposed in Serbia.

Liberal groups immediately criticised the plea bargain deal saying it raised questions about the judiciary's credibility.

Ceca was charged with embezzling about €4m (3.5m) from player sales to foreign clubs and faced up to 15 years in prison.

She was married to Zeljko Raznatovic, known as Arkan, whose troops killed non-Serbs and pillaged their homes during the Balkan wars of the 1990s. Arkan was gunned down in a Belgrade hotel in 2000, but Ceca continued to manage his football club while allegedly maintaining links to crime bosses and former paramilitary leaders.