'Wrong identity' theory in war crimes case

Mile Bosnic, 54, was arrested at his home in Gloucester on March 25 and put before Westminster magistrates on charges including torture, murder and breaching the Geneva Convention during fighting in Croatia.

But after more than a week on remand, the father of two was told he was free to go and that the extradition request from the Croatian embassy was "discontinued".

A Sunday newspaper reported yesterday that Croatian investigators had made an error with his identity card and his only crime was to have the same name as a wanted warlord.

Yesterday the Home Office said there was no information from the Croatians to explain whether or not Mr Bosnic had been wrongly singled out because of his name.

A spokesman said: "They asked us to discontinue proceedings. This side of it is down to the Croatians." He added: "We've not got anything saying that it is mistaken identity."

A man sharing Mr Bosnic's name is thought to have been responsible for murder, torture and imprisonment of Croatians during the war of independence, when he was one of the leaders of the Serb Democratic Party.

Fighting in Croatia in the latter half of 1991 and 1992 involved armed battles between the Yugoslav People's Army and various factions of the Croatian authorities in the Independent Autonomous Area of Krajina.

Speaking through his daughter Bianca, Mr Bosnic said: "I believed Britain was our refuge. We don't seek benefits, we live quietly and peacefully.

"Yet because of some unknown official in Croatia, I am dragged from my home, forced to watch my wife and children crying as I stand accused of dreadful crimes and then get locked in prison." He is understood to have sought asylum in Britain 10 years ago.