(Podgorica, 12 May 2013) – Tomorrow the Basic Court in Podgorica will hold a hearing for Montenegro Lottery and Jack Pot’s case against the Daily Press paper and the NGO MANS. The hearing should include Branislav Micunovic and Sava Grbovic, even though the Lottery’s lawyer Vladan S. Bojic for days has attempted to justify Micunovic’s failure to appear, trying to make the court’s decision to summon him as something sensational.
Since Bojic still needs to provide an actual justification for his accusations, MANS is expecting that Micunovic will be on hand to explain how exactly him and his family have been injured by MANS’ actions and in what circumstances exactly was Montenegro’s legal system unable to protect him from MANS. MANS is also hoping that Micunovic’s hearing will contribute to resolving this dispute, as well as demonstrating why the Lottery’s lawyer is so opposed to this taking place (even though he approached the courts partially in Micunovic’s name).
Similarly, Prof. Blagota Mitric also isn’t a party to the dispute, which is according to Bojic – in addition to sensationalism – another reason why someone cannot be heard as a witness. Nevertheless, MANS is expecting that during the hearing Prof. Mitric’s statements on behalf of Montenegro’s Lottery and JackPot will be explained. In the documents that Bojic submitted to the courts after the previous session it was stated that Prof. Mitric pointed out that the law should not include a provision aimed at preventing money laundering, since according to him gambling operators have such low revenues that they can barely pay their employees, thus excluding the possibility of money laundering.
These absurd, unprofessional and illogical statements must be justified, especially if they come from a law professor. Furthermore, the NGO UPIS, also isn’t a party to the proceedings. This NGO has claimed on behalf of Montenegro Lottery and JackPot that increased contributions to the Directorate for the Prevention of Money Laundering would provoke its administrative strangulation. Bojic has cited all of the above in his motion, without attempting to explain the absurdity and contradictions of these statements.
Therefore, the contribution of Montenegro Lottery and JackPot to the debate over changes to the Law on Games of Chance is aimed at preventing the adoption of clauses related to anti-money laundering efforts. This is why MANS hopes that, in addition to its “injury” by MANS, Micunovic and Grbovic will clarify whether the revenues of the gambling operators they are associated with are indeed so small that it excludes the possibility of money laundering, or whether they have such large deposits and withdrawals that they would strangle the Directorate for the Prevention of Money Laundering.
These statements are mutually contradictory, while Bojic has failed to offer an adequate explanation, as well as failing to explain what exactly is sensational in the fact that Branislav Micunovic be heard as a witness. Nevertheless, the contradictions in the statements of Prof. Mitric and the NGO UPIS did not prevent Bojic from using such statements to demand compensation worth €5000 on behalf of Montenegro Lottery and JackPot.
Bojic’s silence about these essential facts best explains why the representatives of Montenegro Lottery and JackPot are disturbed by MANS’ presence in the public debate on the new law. For this reason, MANS expects that the courts will approach the matter on the basis of facts and evidence, and not on the basis of absurd, unprofessional and illogical claims. Hiding behind the statements of individuals and legal entities only because they are not parties to the dispute, shouldn’t be a reason for their claims not to be verified by the courts.
Finally, MANS would like to remind Bojic that Judge Blaza Jovanovic, whose exclusion he opposed, didn’t exempt MANS – as Bojic unprofessionally claimed. Jovanovic was excluded by the courts’ president because he didn’t fulfil the minimum of guarantees to ensure that MANS would receive a fair trial. It is probably for these reasons that Bojic is so upset by his exclusion. Similarly, the summons of Micunovic isn’t a reflection of the judge doing MANS’ bidding, as Bojic seems to think, nor is it sensational. The summons is a logical decision to hear an individual that Bojic himself represented as a victim of MANS in this case.
MANS once again would like to express the hope that Montenegro’s legal system will not prove to be so incapable that it is unable to secure a hearing from a witness only because Bojic is absurdly claiming that such a step would be sensational (while basing his case on this same individual’s statements).
The hearing will be held on 13 May 2013 in Podgorica’s Basic Court before Judge Zoran Scepanovic, beginning at 9:00 am.
