BOK: Milović and Krapović cannot gain insight into SOCTA

The Minister of Justice Andrej Milović cannot gain insight into SOCTA or obtain that document on the assessment of the danger of serious and organized crime, the Bureau for Operational Coordination (BOK) concluded today.

That document, as written in the press release, will not be made available to Defense Minister Dragan Krapović either.

"In the part of consideration of requests sent to BOK, taking into account the fact that the classified version of SOCTA 2021 was not delivered to any minister in the Government of Montenegro, and that it is a document based on which the most significant challenges in the areas of serious and organized crime are identified and planned preventive, intelligence and investigative activities of the bodies of the intelligence and security sector, and that there is no justification for the submitted requests, it was unanimously concluded that the requests for the delivery of the classified version of SOCTA 2021 submitted by the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Defense cannot be accepted," the statement of the BOK emphasizes today after the session of that body of the intelligence and security sector headed by Aleksa Bečić.

Bečić's cabinet previously told "Viješta" that Milović could request a secret version of the Risk Assessment of Serious and Organized Crime in Montenegro (SOCTA) according to the procedure that was officially explained to him "as early as mid-January", and that the BOK would decide on that request, but that it is not clear whether the Minister of Justice did it, nor whether he can get it.

Milović recently said that he has not been able to get that document for two months in order to know who the persons of security interest are in order, he hinted, to avoid meetings with them, for which he was accused by the head of the Special Police department Predrag Šuković.

Responding to those accusations, he told "Vijesti" on Saturday that he "transparently" sits in bars, goes to the halls where there are many people and security-interested persons, but that judges, prosecutors, policemen, and politicians also sit in some of those bars. ..

Today's BOK announcement states that today, in full composition and with the participation of the Minister of the Interior Danilo Šaranović and the Minister of Public Administration Maraš Dukaj, the body held the second session of the new convocation, where it continued the activities started on intensifying and innovating the modalities of interdepartmental cooperation , through the improvement of operational compliance and coordination of the bodies of the intelligence and security sector, all with the aim of raising the level of security and protection of the national and vital interests of Montenegro.

"As particularly significant, we point out that in the previous months, the bodies of the intelligence and security sector in cooperation with the Special State Prosecutor's Office and other competent prosecutorial bodies, despite numerous challenges and difficulties, achieved extremely notable results in the field of continuous and uncompromising fight against organized crime and corruption, by filing numerous criminal charges, prosecuting and imprisoning a large number of persons, with an emphasis on the seizure of hundreds of kilograms of narcotics, the breaking up of smugglers' networks and the seizure of large quantities of smuggled excise goods - cigarettes, as well as in various proceedings by imprisoning and prosecuting numerous members of the intelligence and security sector, which confirms the determination to reform the security sector and build it on the principles of professionalism, independence, morality, non-selectivity, depoliticization and integrity. We additionally highlight the fact that in a security environment with continuous challenges, the safety of citizens and a stable security situation are preserved, but we also praise the activities of the competent authorities on preservation of public order and peace during New Year's and Christmas holidays and numerous public gatherings and events throughout Montenegro," the BOK statement points out.

The announcement adds that the BOK particularly praises the activities of the Ministry of the Interior (MUP) "which significantly contributed to the positive decision of the Committee of Experts for the Evaluation of Measures to Combat Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism of the Council of Europe, on the basis of which Montenegro avoided the gray list of Moneywall We also highlight the fact that, after more than a year, the problem of the 14th generation Police Academy participants was solved by establishing an employment relationship with the MUP/UP, with the affirmation of the effort to make the same possible for the 15th generation participants as soon as possible, which is especially important because of known personnel deficits".

"In order to further improve interdepartmental cooperation, we formed several interdepartmental working teams, one of which will be in charge of establishing the basis for the formation of a maritime information unit in accordance with international standards and practices of partner countries, with the aim of protecting the vital interests of Montenegro from illegal activities on sea, and we emphasize that in the implementation of the established tasks, the work teams will have the professional and expert assistance of renowned international partners, the Embassy of the United States of America ICITAP and the Embassy of Great Britain - Department for International Operations of the Ministry of the Interior of the United Kingdom," the announcement reads.

The BOK said that based on the analysis of the Ministry of Public Administration and with the participation of the Minister of Public Administration Maraš Dukaj in that part of the session, they concluded that during the previous period activities were undertaken to strengthen the cyber security system, improve the information security system and protect the network infrastructure.

It is also emphasized that BOK "in the coming period, in accordance with its legal powers, will continue activities to improve all the necessary conditions for the improvement of interdepartmental cooperation of intelligence and security sector bodies, with the aim of accepting and implementing international standards and comprehensively confronting modern security challenges".