Rašović took $100.000 from Stijepović?

Vlatko Baja Rašović told the police that close to 100.000 dollars, which he and five other employees of the Atlas Group converted into euros last October, belonged to the mayor of Podgorica, Slavoljub Migo Stijepović, "Vijesti" learned from several sources close to the investigation.

Rašović stated this to the inspectors of the Special Police Department, who interrogated him as a citizen.

Last week, the Special State Prosecutor's Office denied that any of the suspects mentioned Stijepović to them during the hearing, and Atlas Group President Duško Knežević said that the money was his and that he had evidence of its origin.

However, "Vijesti" sources claim that Rašović told the inspectors that on October 12 last year, on the order of Knežević and another person from Atlas Bank, he went to Stijepović's in the Capital City building to get money.

He explained that Stijepović handed him the money, which was converted into euros the same day.

According to the law, his statement to the police cannot be used as evidence in the money laundering proceedings initiated by the Special State Prosecutor's Office against Rašović and his colleagues.

"Vijesti" sources claim that Rašović did not repeat everything he said to the police in front of the special prosecutor Lidija Vukčević, and that he allegedly did not mention Stijepović during the hearing before the investigating judge of the Podgorica High Court.

He allegedly did this on the advice of his lawyer not to mention the politician, "because he will never get out of that story".

It is not clear whether SDT tried to verify Rašović's statements, given to the police.

The leaders of the Democratic Front, Milan Knežević and Andrija Mandić, announced on Saturday that Stijepović exchanged $100.000 in Atlas Bank, which was later used for the DPS campaign, on the eve of last year's parliamentary elections.

At the time, they announced that the chief special prosecutor Milivoje Katnić had deliberately withheld that information.

The SDT denied them the same day, and Stijepović announced the day before yesterday that it was an "obvious lie".

"The competent state body has clearly communicated its position," said Stijepović.

Knežević, who is in Belgrade for treatment, said that he is aware that rumors are bothering him that he is interested in getting involved in politics, but that this is nonsense and that he is only engaged in business.

He told "Vijesta" that at first he did not attach importance to the money laundering investigation, but that he began to suspect that someone was setting him up after the arrest of his employees.

Knežević said that he hopes that it is not a political game or a showdown between interest groups, behind his back.

Rašović and his colleagues Goran Grujović, Natko Peličić, Predrag Pejović, Dražen Vujisić and Vlado Stevanović were arrested at the end of September on suspicion of laundering $2016 in October 96.000.

Vujisić and Grujović defended themselves by remaining silent, while the others denied guilt.

They were detained.