MANS today filed to a Special Prosecutor for Organized Crime and Corruption a criminal complaint against Boro Lazović director of SC Mogren and president of the municipal committee of the DPS, Darko Saric already accused drug lord, Rajko Kuljača former Mayor of Budva, M. Marovic former head of Land Registry in Budva, Bosko Krlović, former Director of Novastar investments CG, Blagote Radulovic, director of New Star ME and the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Olga Vucinic former CEO of Amsone Entreprises Montenegro. All persons are reported for suspected criminal association in order to obtain illegal benefits.
MANS last week in cooperation with a regional network of investigative journalists (OCCRP) presented the results of months of research on the links between the authorities, business, and structures of organized crime in Montenegro. One part of that research relates to planned construction of a new stadium SC Mogren in Budva, and suspicious transactions with valuable municipal land that followed in that process.
Data that we obtained show that Boro Lazovic, as director of SC Mogren, after the Municipality of Budva transferred ownership of valuable land on that club, knowingly signed a contract harmful to the club, the Municipality of Budva, and the public interest, and transferred parcels to the newly formed company. Although illegal, any changes in Budva’s Land Registry were marked by then chief of the register, Mirjana Marovic, aunt of the senior official of DPS, Svetozar Marovic.
Information that we have obtained show that at that time was created and complicated schema connected companies and persons which had as a goal to hide a real ownership of the companies to whom municipal land and valuable asset of the club was practically given as a gift, and probably that kind of structure, having in mind that those are off-shore companies, served and for money laundering.
The final and actual owners of the company New Star ME to which are transferred rights over valuable land, were hidden behind offshore destinations obtained by researchers of MANS and OCCRP, which show that it is a sister of drug lord, Danijela Saric, and his lawyer, Nebojsa Jestrovic, who are charged in Serbia for money laundering from cocaine.
This information is for so long hidden from the public, while Boro Lazovic as one of the signers of the contract for establishing such a company claims that they are a reputable foreign investors. What is particularly interesting is that Blagota Radulovic, director of New Star ME behind who were standing Saric, at the same time works for the Government as Deputy Minister of Agriculture.
At the beginning of 2010, the proportion of Sraic’s New Star, in the complete business was taken over by Panamanian company Adriatic Overseas Holdings, whose owners for now are unknown to the Montenegrin public. One of the few in Montenegro who knows who is behind that company is Petar Ivanovic, who was a mediator in communication between attorneys of that off-shore company and lawyer Zorica Djukanovic. What is particularly interesting is that the same company took over and SUN Investment, a company that manages Hawaii in Budva, which is connected with Stanko Subotic, Serbian businessman and friend of Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, so it would be interesting if the Minister Ivanovic reveals to the public who is hidden behind that off-shore company.
In the criminal complaint that we have filed today to the Special Prosecutor, Boro Lazovic and Rajko Kuljaca are alleged to have used their political influence and abused authority power when they, without public tender and prescribed procedures, on the SC Mogren transferred valuable land. Lazovic is additionally charged because he contrary to the law and in behalf of SC Mogren signed the contract for establishment of a new company on which it supposed to be registered, beside the municipal land and assets of the club, and additional land that was not in his possession. Bosko Krlovic and Olga Vucinic who signed the contract with Lazovic for establishment of a new company are charged that they acted contrary to the law and their authorities when they signed null contract.
Former chief of the Land Registry, Mirjana Marovic is charged for allowing contrary to the law ownership entry changes over disputed land, even though she should know that the decisions and contracts that were signed Kuljaca and Lazovic, without public tender, legally null and void.
Finally, by the criminal complaint is also included and drug lord Darko Saric for a suspicion that the whole project was designed because of the potential money laundering gained through cocaine traffic, and that through his mediators, sister and lawyer, and officials of the DPS and the Government, he organized support for the implementation of such an idea in the field. In that regard, we suggested to a prosecutor that with a special attention investigates his links with Montenegrin officials.
MANS from the Special Prosecutor for Organized Crime requested that because of the circumstances of participation in a criminal organization that was formed on this occasion, but also because of the other circumstances in connection to this case, interrogate and the Minister Petar Ivanovic and lawyer Zorica Djukanovic.
The documentation, as a part of the criminal complaint, that MANS submitted to the Special Prosecutor for Organized Crime and Corruption are concrete evidence of relationship and business links between political officials of the DPS, the Government of Montenegro and drug lord Darko Saric, accused for money laundering and cocaine smuggling.
MANS invites special prosecution for organized crime and corruption that regardless of any potential pressure conduct fast and efficient, but above all, objective investigation in order to fully discover relations and individualized responsibility for establishing and maintaining the connection between organized crime and the Government in Montenegro.
Dejan Milovac
Deputy Executive Director
Investigative Center Director
