Milosevic 'had drugs and alcohol'

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THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) -- A U.N. war crimes tribunal official said Tuesday that the court was informed on several occasions that Slobodan Milosevic had regular access to unprescribed medication and alcohol smuggled into his prison cell.

The official, requesting anonymity because of the tribunal's strict confidentiality rules, told The Associated Press that the unit's prison warden had told the court that he could therefore no longer guarantee Milosevic's health.

The prison warden, Timothy McFadden, refused interview requests and U.N. tribunal spokeswoman Alexandra Milenov said the court could not comment "because the investigation into Milosevic's death is ongoing."

The tribunal official, who has access to confidential documents on Milosevic's medication use, said two doctors concluded that the former Serb leader was intentionally taking drugs that undermined the prescribed medication for his heart ailment.

Medical reports from August 2004 concluded that Milosevic was violating doctor's orders and that he was on unprescribed medication, tribunal transcripts show. On occasion, he also refused to take his heart medication, prosecutors have alleged during the course of the trial based on medical reports........(continued)