The management of the Administration for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions (UIKS) has called on the authorities to fully investigate the allegations of the Montenegrin police chief. Lazar Šćepanović that members of criminal groups were taken out of prison, that they were masked, armed...
At the same time, from the Supreme State Prosecutor's Office (SPO), which is headed by Milorad Marković, announced that they were not officially informed of the allegations made during the session of the Security and Defense Committee.
Šćepanović told MPs four days ago that he would not allow the politicization of the police, stating that in the previous period, "the mafia octopus put pressure on voters, that lists were requested for offices before the elections," but also that they took criminals out of prison, armed them...
"Today, in front of the entire public, I am giving you information, and all intelligence services know that members of criminal groups were taken out of ZIKS, masked and made into provocateurs, and armed. I will not allow this to any political party. No one can take my integrity, I can lose it myself. Honor can only be lost, it cannot be taken. That is why I want the police to believe in my intention - to be strong, resilient," he said.
The Police Directorate did not respond to "Vijesti"'s questions yesterday, but Šćepanović emphasized to MPs that he still stands by what he said.
"I have intelligence and operational data, I am not allowed to go into details, due to confidentiality of the data - that conditional releases were timed to the time of operations and given to certain individuals," he said yesterday in the Parliament.
The Supreme State Prosecutor's Office, however, claims that this data was not shared with the prosecutor's office.
"The State Prosecutor's Office has not been officially informed about the information that the Acting Director of the Police Administration Lazar Šćepanović presented during the session of the Committee for Security and Defense. We would like to remind you that in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code, officials and responsible persons in state bodies, local self-government bodies, public enterprises and institutions are obliged to report criminal offenses that are prosecuted ex officio, that they are informed about or that they learn about in the performance of their duties, and to provide evidence that is known to them," the umbrella prosecutor's institution said.
The UIKS administration claims that, since they have been in office, no one has been taken out of prison outside of legal procedure.
"The management team of the Administration for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions responsibly claims that during the period in which it has been at the head of this body, there have been no cases of removal of detained or convicted persons from the Administration's facilities due to illegal activities, or activities that were mentioned during the session of the Security and Defense Committee by the Acting Director of the Police Administration, Mr. Lazar Šćepanović. Also, the management team of the Administration, which consists of officials with many years of experience in this body, or the prison system, has no knowledge or data that in the previous period there have been cases of removal of detained or convicted persons from the Administration outside the cases prescribed by law," said the UIKS, which is headed by Darko Vukcevic.
They emphasize that the removal of detained and convicted persons from UIKS occurs exclusively in cases prescribed by law and according to established procedures.
"Furthermore, each individual case of the extradition of detained or convicted persons is accompanied by certain documentation containing information on the date and time of extradition, the reason or purpose of extradition, the legal basis and necessary permits, as well as the officers who carried out the tasks of extradition or securing these persons during extradition," they announced.
They also say that Šćepanović and the Police Department should have initiated an investigation:
"Considering the allegations made by the Acting Director of the Police Administration, as well as the consequences that such allegations may have, and the jurisdiction of that authority, we believe that it is Mr. Šćepanović, or rather the Police Administration, who should initiate an investigation with the competent prosecutor's office, and to that end submit certain evidence. In order to establish all the facts, the Administration for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions calls on all competent authorities to fully investigate Mr. Šćepanović's allegations in accordance with their jurisdiction."
They said that the UIKS management is fully prepared to provide the competent authorities with all necessary information and submit all available documentation for review.
"We also believe that establishing all facts and circumstances regarding the allegations made is necessary in order to protect the reputation of the Administration for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions, its management, and all employees of this body. Also, the Administration's management, continuing its current practice, will in the future, in all cases in which there are certain facts or data indicating illegal or improper conduct in the Administration for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions, initiate proceedings before the competent authorities in order to determine possible liability," said UIKS.
Šćepanović: Individuals from criminal structures confessed
Responding to MPs' questions about the prisoner transfer, Šćepanović said yesterday that these were his operational findings, but also facts that were acknowledged by individuals from criminal structures.
"Operational, my findings, and certain facts, which were acknowledged by criminal structures that they used certain timings of conditional releases, lobbying of certain officials. So do I need to explain to you the connection to organized crime today in ZIKS, 60 police officers have been processed, 43 with elements of organized crime, of which at least 2 to 29 criminal offenses. One member of the criminal group, a police officer, is charged with 29 criminal offenses," said Šćepanović.
He recalled the investigation launched against the former head of UIKS.
"You had an investigation launched for the head of UIKS who was accused and prosecuted... I don't know the outcome of the criminal case, that he put together criminal structures and arranged contacts in the premises, outside the room. I have intelligence and operational data, I am not allowed to go into details, due to the confidentiality of the data, that conditional releases were timed to the time of the operations and given to certain individuals. We have individuals who participated in those operations, we have numerous cases where certain individuals, who carried batons and drove vans for Šavnik, in the Šavnik elections, were candidates in the intelligence and security sector and the Police Directorate. Those people who carried batons and drove vans, I won't name them, he recognized himself well and with whom he has contacts and what he did, today he holds some local function," said Šćepanović.
He added that he would have a lot to say, but that he wants UP, with him at the helm, to end such practices forever.
Bonus video:
