The documentation that Research center announced today definitely confirms links of the current Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Petar Ivanovic, actually the Government of Montenegro and the criminal gang of accused drug lord Darko Saric.
Listing of paid tickets via Belgrade agency “Business Travel Partner” reveals the names of a group to which Darko Saric funded travels to various destinations. Beside the expected names of Saric’s criminal organizations and numerous celebrity persons that Saric brought to Montenegro, on the list of passengers whose air ticket was paid by Saric is also the name of the current Minister of Agriculture Petar Ivanovic.
Listing obtained by the Research center of MANS shows that on November 17th in 2009 two airline tickets were bought for the destination Podgorica-Paris-Geneva-Podgorica under the name of mentioned Minister Ivanovic and Jovica Loncar, who was accused in Montenegro for laundering of Saric’s money. In the notes on the payment for the ticket it is stated nickname “JOCA”. The numbers of Ivanovic and Loncar’s tickets 724-3843132162 and 724-3843132163, confirm that tickets were purchased together, so that the mentioned persons traveled together.
In that regard, it would be good if Minister Ivanovic explains, at a time when he served as chief economic adviser to Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, what he was doing on a flight to Paris and Geneva, with a person that is clearly identified, from our and foreign prosecutors’ office, as a close associate of drug lord Darko Saric. We believe that it is in public interest information what is the reason for Minister Ivanovic’s travel to Paris, with whom he had met on that destination, what he was doing in Geneva, and why his companion on all these flights was a member of Saric’s criminal group, Jovica Loncar.
Minister Ivanovic could explain and in which business relation and communication criminal structure of a criminal drug lord funds travel of economic adviser of Prime Minister of one country, and does he believe that there is nothing unusual.
In addition, data from the Central Business Entities of Montenegro prove that the Minister Ivanovic was a contact person for communication between the owner of the Panama offshore company “Adriatic Overseas Holdings” and the lawyer Zorica Djukanovic from Podgorica. In a letter that lawyers of the Panamanian company sent to the home address of the Minister Ivanovic in Podgorica (Balsiceva 3) it is stated: ” Dear Dr. Ivanovic, according to the instructions that we have received from our authorisers, it is our pleasure to send You in the attachment the Authorisation of that entity (Adriatic Overseas Holdings) issued in favor of Mrs. Zorica Djukanovic, duly certified by an apostille. Please contact us if we can be of any assistance. Singed by lawyer’s office Ballard & Ballard.
From offered it can be concluded that it is unlikely that Petar Ivanovic does not know who is behind this Panamanian company. What is important to know is that that Panamanian company took over some shares of Saric’s company “Nova Star CG” in the business with SC Mogren and a high official of the DPS, Boro Lazovic. Additional confirmation of how close connections are between Ivanovic and Saric’s criminal gang, is the fact that the director of Saric’s “Nova Star CG” was Blagota Radulovic, a man whom Ivanovic trusted, who have been following him on positions, strating from the Agency for promoting foreign investments, to the Ministry of Agriculture where Radulovic works as an assistance of the Minister in the payment department. Another important link is the fact that the Panamanian company beside Saric’s company took over and the company SUN Investments which is linked with another friend of Prime Minister Djakanovic, Stanko-Cane Subotic.
Why the home address of the Minister Petar Ivanovic served for submitting the authorisation to Djukanovic’s lawyer, is the question that the minister should have an answer on, so what are his connections with the owners of Panamanian company, as well as with the lawyer Djukanovic. Also, Djukanovic was the legal representative of Jovica Loncar, who traveled with Ivanovic on flights to Paris and Geneva. She also represented and Zoja Dudic, a widow of the late Fric, who also was labeled as a member of Saric’s group.
Because of all these questions that remain unanswered, MANS suggested to hear the Minister Ivanovic before a competent prosecutor and finally determine what was the nature of his relationship with companions of Darko Saric.
However, what is known so far opens a huge space for doubt that the current Montenegrin Minister of Agriculture Petar Ivanvic was one of the key people of Prime Minister Djukanovic for communication with drug gang of Darko Saric.
In the legally ordered state even he would be fired
Open doubts in connection with organized crime, supported by concrete evidence would be enough in some legal state for a minister to withdraw from public office that holds, and free the Government of its Prime Minister from mortgages to cooperate with criminal gangs. In Montenegro, unfortunately, Prime Minister Djukanovic still does not want to deprive from “services” of Petar Ivanovic. Instead to be held responsible before a competent prosecutor for obvious connections with organized underworld, the minister apparently is preparing for another election and a new violation of law. In fact, it is exactly Petar Ivanovic, loudest from state officials, who announces that he will not respect the Law on financing political parties, and it will continue with the practice of pumping huge amounts of money on the fiend right before the elections, and under the mask of alleged concern for farmers.
Tickets were bought through an agency owned by a girlfriend of Radoljub Radulovic
Agency “Business Travel Partner” through which Saric’s group used to buy tickets for the Minister Ivanovic, before liquidation was owned by Jasna Dragojevic from Belgrade, who is by Belgrade media referred as a girlfriend of Radoljub Radulovic, aka “Mouse banana”, close associate of Darko Saric.
Dejan Milovac
Deputy Executive Director
Director of Research Center
