Milosevic remanded to prison for 30 days, pending investigation.(Chicago Tribune)

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia--Disgraced ex-President Slobodan Milosevic was interrogated for several hours Sunday by an investigating judge and remanded to Belgrade's Central Prison for 30 days pending further investigation of graft and corruption charges.

"He has his own cell. He can wear his own underwear and shoes. He is not being subjected to any special psychological pressures," said Serbian Justice Minister Vladan Batic.

Behind the gates of the drab gray concrete prison, Milosevic's lawyer Toma Fila put it another way: "This is a Balkan jail, it's not the Hyatt Regency."

Fila said Milosevic pleaded innocent and had appealed his 30-day detention. ``He decided to defend himself. He will speak up and tell the truth,'' Fila said.

The past few days have been a roller coaster ride for Yugoslavia and a far fall for Milosevic, who--even in his final hours in the presidential palace--seemed to think he could escape the consequences of his decade of misrule.

After two botched attempts to arrest Milosevic, on Friday night and early Saturday morning, Yugoslavia's fledgling democratic government was in a tight spot of its own.

According to a senior Western diplomat, some members of the 18-party ruling coalition were concerned that it would look weak to arrest Milosevic on the March 31 deadline imposed by the U.S. Congress; others were concerned that the criminal cases against Milosevic were less than airtight; still others were loath to arrest him under any circumstance.