Decision of the members of the Parliamentary Anti-Corruption Committee, DPS and SDP, not to support the return of social security numbers in the publicly available registers of the Tax and Real Estate Administration, is another proof that in the governing structure there is not enough political will to fight corruption at the highest level, and that by the end they will remain faithful to private interest of their own bosses but not to the public interest.
Immediate return of social security numbers in online registers is one of the key prerequisite for continuing investigation of corruption on a high level, and organized crime, which so far in Montenegro successfully implemented only non governmental organizations and independent media. Police and prosecutors despite numbers of mechanisms available to them, and their political dependence on the ruling elite, neglect the public interest that criminals are arrested and prosecuted, even if they are currently positioned in the Government or Parliament.
Until today MANS a few times pointed on the need that data on companies and real estate are publicly available to everyone. This is very important for all of those who want to invest in Montenegro or establish a business connection with our companies, but they do not want to have any business with companies owned by hidden corrupted politicians or member of Montenegrin underworld. Therefore, the identification numbers were the first “ring” as a test, and allowed safely and quickly identification of ownership of companies and real estate, and as well to discover connections in Montenegro that undoubtedly exist between politicians at the high level and members of Montenegrin criminal milieu.
Prevention of such investigations is also one of the key motives of the ruling coalition to make this decision, because precisely their leaders and rulers most often have been the subject of MANS work, and reporting of free media, so to hide the identification numbers would undoubtedly benefit such personnel and with them connected members of the structures of organized crime.
Members of DPS so far in many cases have proved blind devotion to their leader, his interests, and interests of the tycoon’s clique whose interests rather than the interests of citizens are represented in the Government of Montenegro. Therefore, it is not a surprise their decision to show to, in this case as well, unreserved support to the Government’s intention that the fight against corruption, as one of a key prerequisite of EU integration, additionally weaken and slow down.
On the other, or rather the same side, SDP members of the Parliament showed that their mask as a seeming commitment for justice and interest of citizens is a mask that leaders of the party regularly place in the
pre-election period when it is necessary “to raise” additional vote. However, when is needed something concrete to be done to protect that interest, always prevail affection for DPS, and privileges provided for over years from that alliance.
Despite the obvious obstructions of the ruling coalition, MANS will continue to insist to get a solution in a shortest time to ensure that the identification numbers are again available to the public, and to continue to be one of the most successful mechanisms for a strong disclosure of a high-level corruption and connections between organized crime and top government officials.
MANS
