Dear all,
We are writing to you for the occasion of police interrogation of MANS Deputy Executive Director, Veselin Bajceta as we believe it represents pressure against civil society activists advocating for effective fight against corruption and organized crime.
Mr. Bajceta was interrogated in relation to video from wedding of Mr. Safet Kalic that was recently posted at You Tube.
That video includes numerous accusations against Mr. Kalic recognizing him as head of organized criminal group smuggling heroin. The video is showing that members of several criminal groups such as Darko Šarić and Ljubiša Buha Čume, and other members of Zemun and Surčin clan from Serbia attended the wedding alongside with Zoran Lazović, high lever official from the Agency for National Security, Montenegrin intelligence, and Ljubiša Mijatović, at the time head of secutirz of the Prime Minister Đukanović.
Moreover, the video includes audio recordings of conversation that was allegedly made between a Montenegrin border police officer and head of intelligence Agency in Mojkovac, Vladeta Rakočević. According to the audio, Mr. Rakočević ordered the police officer to let Naser Kelmendi bring half million of euros in cash in Montenegro. Mr. Kelmendi is also accused by number of sources to be organizer of heroin smuggling.
After MANS have repeatedly invited the intelligence Agency, prosecution and police to find out whether the video is genuine and investigate the accusations, the Agency finally asked the prosecution to conduct investigation.
However, instead of investigating accusations against high level intelligence officers and allegations related to Mr. Kalic, the prosecution and police obviously decided to conduct investigation on who posted the video at You Tube.
Following orders of the prosecution, two police inspectors firstly visited family of Mr. Bajceta, MANS Deputy Executive Director, on Friday, June 25th, and following that he was interrogated by the police. For some reason, inspectors for commercial crime were in charge for the case, and they asked Mr. Bajceta whether he knows who posted the video.
Journalist of TV “Vijesti” and weekly “Monitor”, Petar Komnenic, was interrogated in the same manner, with inspectors picking him up in front of TV “Vijesti” studio. Mr. Komnenić is the first Montenegrin journalist writing about this video and permanently addressing issues related to organized crime.
It is important to mention that Montenegrin Criminal Code is envisaging three criminal acts that could be recalled in this case: article 173, 174 and 175 – unauthorized listening and recording, photographing and distributing personal videos. However, according to the article 183 of the Code, all these criminal acts are processed only on the basis of complaint to the court submitted by private person. The prosecution and the police are authorized to conduct investigations for violations of mentioned articles only in case that taping and distributing of videos are committed by an official in the line of duty.
It is obvious that there was no public interest, nor legal basis for the prosecution to order and the police to conduct interrogations of Mr. Bajčeta and Mr. Komnenić, civil society activists.
Therefore, one could reach conclusion that the interrogations are conducted upon wishes of Mr. Lazović, Mr. Mijatović, Mr. Rakočević, or Mr. Kalić, Mr. Šarić, Mr. Kelmendi, Mr. Ljubiša Buha Čume or some members of the Zemun or Surčin organized crime structures to initiate private cases against Bajčeta, Komnenić or whoever is next to be questioned.
We would like to draw your attention to the fact that interrogation of Bajčeta and Komnenić happened on the very same day when interview with Director of the Police, Veselin Veljović was published in daily “Pobjeda”. Mr. Veljović stated that some media and NGOs are improvising, misrepresenting and manufacturing facts about organized crime and police actions. This is not the first allegation of Mr. Veljović against civil society, and on several occasions in the previous period he accused NGOs for acting as foreign spies, saying that management of the Police “registered some NGOs to be working against interests of the state and its citizens”.
In light of these allegations of Mr. Veljović, we believe that interrogation of Bajčeta and Komnenić represent an attempt of the police and prosecution to intimidate and silence those civil society activists demanding more active fight against organized crime.
We fear that such statements of the Police Director, intimidations and interrogations against Bajčeta and Komnenić are not just an isolated case of lack of democratic culture of the police and prosecution, but are rather showing lack of their will to cooperate with civil society, and represent a continuous efforts of these institutions to marginalize and silence any criticism and demand for results of reforms.
Having that in mind, we are very worried that such practice will continue, and we feel very exposed to pressures coming not only from the institutions, but also from organized criminal groups themselves, since it is more than obvious that we will not be provided by any support or protection from the system.
However, MANS will continue with its activities, despite of all the obstacles, believing that only strong advocacy could create political will necessary for achieving concrete results in fighting organized crime and corruption.
Therefore, we are asking for your assistance in articulating the problems and intimidations civil society activists are facing, and asking from responsible institutions to stop pressuring and intimidating those who dare to speak openly about organized crime and corruption in Montenegro.
Vanja Ćalović
Executive Director
