Gavric pulled the trigger

Milan Djuricic and Dragan Nikolic, his accomplices, were sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. Nikolic is still at large.

A fourth defendant died in the prison hospital during the trial.

The judge in the case said that while the responsibility of the accused was beyond doubt some aspects of the case were still unclear.

Arkan, whose real name was Zeljko Raznatovic, was shot dead in January 2000 while he sat having coffee in the lobby of a Belgrade hotel.

Two of his associates also died in the shoot out.

Indicted

Arkan began his career as a hitman for the Yugoslav Government.

There are more people involved... but the court has at least established the responsibility of the accused

Judge Djordjevic

He later lead his Serb paramilitaries, the Tigers, in the wars in Bosnia and Croatia.

After his death the Hague Tribunal unsealed an indictment against him for war crimes.

But Arkan was also a businessman, the owner of a football club and a politician.

Mystery remains

In giving his verdict, Judge Dragoljub Djordjevic said it was obvious the motive was money but said it was not clear who had ordered the murder.

"There are more people involved, numerous things have remained unclear, but the court has at least established the responsibility of the accused," he said.

Arkan's mother did not agree that money was the motive. She told reporters that Serbian state security was responsible and pointed the finger at the former security chief, Rade Markovic.

Mr Markovic, removed from office after the new regime took power in Belgrade, is already on trial for murder in another case, and the judge noted that many witnesses had refused to testify during the Arkan murder trial.