For more than two decades, the man from Podgorica has been unable to free himself from the clutches of loan sharks, nor has he been able to pay off his debts, even though, as he claims, they have taken away a lot of real estate, shares in the former Drvoimpeks, and significant sums of money... He borrowed a total of 65.000 euros from several loan sharks, and he claims to have repaid almost 300.000 euros.
In addition to threats, persecution, and stalking of the entire family, this elderly man claims that one of the loan sharks from Tuzi set fire to his orchard.
His story is one in a series of confessions that a "Vijesti" journalist came across while investigating the extensive network of usury and the severe systemic consequences that this crime leaves for citizens, including dozens of suicides related to usury debts, which is confirmed by intelligence records of security services.
Just as the investigative series was being published, the first institutional response arrived - the Police Directorate announced yesterday that combating usury would be a special focus of its work.
From that security institution, which he leads Lazar Scepanovic, announced the formation of special teams tasked with systematically investigating reported cases, reviewing previous actions, and intensifying activities to detect and prosecute perpetrators of the criminal offense of usury.
A noose around the neck due to operations abroad
Speaking in detail about the problem, whose roots date back to the beginning of the new millennium, the interviewee of "Vijesti" states that he comes from a well-off family, but that, like most people, he needed quick money at one point...
He also states that this happened due to health problems that affected him while he was outside the borders of Montenegro.
"I had a difficult operation, not here. Despite the fact that I am a lawyer by profession, the first generation to graduate from college here, and the fact that I have never drunk, I am not a spendthrift, I have worked my whole life, I come from a wealthy family, and that thanks to voucher privatization I bought a share in Drvoimpeks, I entered a network of loan sharks, in which there is no mercy," says the Podgorica resident.
He says that at that moment he was forced to borrow 10.000 euros.
"When I got to the hospital and was told that the operation had to be performed by a doctor from Russia, my properties, offices, and company ownership were all for nothing. I had to come up with money immediately, so I borrowed 10.000 euros from D. Camaja from Tuzi. That's the beginning of all my problems with loan sharks,” he says.
He explains that it was agreed that he would pay interest of 10 percent per month, which he claims he did for 17 months.
"Then I collected another 7.000 euros and paid him back the principal, leaving 3.000 euros. When he took the money, he said I didn't owe him 3.000 euros, but 30.000 euros. He explained that I hadn't paid the monthly interest on the day he lent me the money and that I owed him that because I was late by a day, two or five."
He adds that that's when the real problems began and the transfer from one usurer to another...
He also expresses suspicion that several Podgorica loan sharks are working together, preying on victims who are in any kind of problem...
"I refused to give him 30.000 euros. Camaj started coming to our house every day. The whole village knew about it - everyone watched him come in a white Mercedes and go wild. It was impossible to survive in the house. He came to threaten my sister who lived alone, he stalked me and my family. He asked me to sign over the land to him, which I did under pressure, because he came several times to burn down our orchard... I reported him to the police inspector to avoid a tragedy, I told him - I will kill him", he says...
He explains that the usurer sold the part of their garden and orchard that he had assigned to him five times.
"The inspector I reported to in 2012 or 2013 informed the prosecutor, but nothing was done. I suspect it was covered up," he says.
When asked why, after such problems, he again sought money from other moneylenders, and not from the bank, he explained that the loans were for the company's operations, and that he went to the moneylenders to get out of trouble...
It states that from S. Klikovec, about ten years ago, borrowed 5.000 euros.
"We were so broke. I had to borrow money. Klikovac reacted even on the day I was late. If I was three days late, he would go to work with my son to beat him," he says.
He adds that because of his experience reporting Camaj, he did not go to the police about Klikovac.
"Why should I report him when they didn't do anything with the first reports either. In short, once you get into trouble with loan sharks, you can't live normally anymore, that's the worst. Many people lost huge assets for small debts. And loan sharks, they have real estate worth tens of millions of euros, and they've never worked, not even for a day. Does anyone check that? For example, the Pejovićs or any other loan sharks," says the interviewee of "Vijesti", telling how he fell into debt bondage and remained in debt bondage for more than two decades.
He says that in the meantime he had to sell apartments to survive.
"The taking of money continued - 10.000 euros from R. Knežević, 10.000 of I. Milačić, 5.000 of Perković, 5.700 of A. Pajović, 10.000 of Pejović and others. I paid interest to Knežević for two years, the 3.000 square meter land was transferred as collateral. I paid interest to Milačić for three years, last year we talked about settling the debt with 30.000 euros. When I called him recently to make an agreement, he asked for 90.000 plus the previous 50.000 euros that I gave him. I have filed several reports and I believe that these people are connected and protected, so I am not reporting them anymore. Some of them took shares in my company for 2.000 euros of debt and tried to take my property estimated at 500.000 euros," he says.
He claims that he has witnesses, but also that he is in court with one of the usurers.
"Now an expert needs to assess the extent of the damage to the property he set on fire," he said.
Research by "Vijesti" shows that debt bondage does not only happen to the "irresponsible". Anyone can fall into it - both the calm and the hardworking, both the hardworking and the responsible, both the strong and the weak. The loan sharks are just waiting for a moment of weakness.
This is confirmed by the survey results - some citizens took on debt out of necessity, when institutional assistance was unavailable or too slow, while a significant number went into debt to maintain a lifestyle beyond their realistic means or to cover gambling losses, decisions that today, in a conversation with a journalist, they recognize as serious personal mistakes.
It was also specified that there are no results in the fight against loan sharks due to several main problems in prosecuting loan shark groups.
"The main problems in prosecuting usury groups in Montenegro are the victim's fear, the lack of material evidence, because the money is given to them without a receipt. The only evidence is often the victim's testimony, and often the withdrawal of the statement. It often happens that the victim reports usury, but under pressure or threats at the trial itself, changes his statement and says that he was actually only given a favor and that it was an interest-free loan. Then the case falls apart," the documents state.
Whoever lends money or other consumable items and thereby contracts a disproportionate material benefit shall be punished with imprisonment for up to three years and a fine, reads the description of the criminal offense of “usury” in the Criminal Code (CC) of Montenegro. If the usurer “takes advantage of the poor financial situation, difficult circumstances, necessity, frivolity or insufficient ability to reason of the injured party”, he shall be punished with imprisonment for three months to three years and a fine. The CC stipulates that a usurer may be punished with imprisonment for six months to five years and a fine if serious consequences have occurred for the injured party or the perpetrator has obtained material benefit in an amount exceeding three thousand euros.
Special teams will chase greenhorns
By order of the Director of the Police Administration, Lazar Šćepanović, two special teams were formed with the task of systematically and thoroughly investigating all cases of usury reported so far, but also to investigate how their colleagues acted in these cases in the previous period.
This was announced by the security institution, stating that the task of these teams is to In new cases, with special care and sensitivity, they undertake all legally prescribed measures and actions in order to protect the personal and property safety of citizens.
"The current investigative journalistic work, published through a series on the decades-long problem of usury in Montenegro, has additionally opened an important issue of the institutional response to this negative social phenomenon. The Police Directorate considers it important that the public is timely and accurately informed about the measures and activities that are continuously undertaken in order to detect, suppress and prosecute the criminal offense of usury. In this regard, the Police Directorate continuously and systematically implements the long-term intelligence and investigative projects 'Loan' and 'Badge', aimed at detecting, clarifying and prosecuting perpetrators of the criminal offense of usury and related forms of crime, collecting and analyzing operational and intelligence data, as well as directing efficient police and prosecutorial activities, including checks on possible abuses by police officers associated with criminal structures," the Police Directorate announced.
They pointed out that the crime of usury represents a serious security and social challenge that directly affects the economic stability, dignity, existence and personal safety of citizens.
"Its specificity is reflected in the contracting of disproportionate material benefits by exploiting the difficult financial situation, difficult circumstances, necessity, frivolity or insufficient ability to reason of the injured party, as prescribed by the Criminal Code of Montenegro. By order of the Director of the Police Administration, two special teams were formed with the task of systematically and thoroughly examining all cases reported so far, conducting a review of the actions of police officers in cases from the previous period, and in new cases, with special care and sensitivity, taking all legally prescribed measures and actions in order to protect the personal and property security of citizens."
They claim they will not allow citizens to suffer pressure and violence.
Explaining that loan sharking is often linked to other criminal offenses, such as violent behavior, extortion, threats, and physical injuries, the security institution called on citizens to report loan sharking to them, guaranteeing them a professional and conspiratorial approach.
"Given the social component of this phenomenon - difficult life circumstances, financial vulnerability and insufficient information about legal consequences, as well as the fact that the criminal act of usury is often connected with other criminal acts, such as violent behavior, extortion, threats and physical injuries, The Police Directorate emphasizes that it understands the sensitivity of the position of injured parties and guarantees a professional, confidential and legal approach in each individual case and calls on all injured parties to report the perpetrators of the criminal offense of usury without delay, as well as all other persons who have knowledge of these illegal activities.
They also emphasize that they will further intensify operational activities to identify and prosecute loan sharks.
"In the coming period, the Police Directorate will further intensify operational activities to identify and prosecute perpetrators of the criminal offense of usury, and in cooperation with the competent state prosecutor's office, all measures provided for by law will be taken to secure evidence and initiate appropriate proceedings. The Police Directorate will not allow injured parties to suffer fear, pressure or violence from individuals - perpetrators or usurers. We invite citizens to establish cooperation in a confidential and safe manner when reporting the criminal offense of usury, through the established contact point with a police officer," they announced, leaving citizens the opportunity to communicate directly with the Department responsible for combating usury, via the email address: korupcija.ekonomski@up.gov.me.
"We remain firmly committed to protecting the safety of all citizens and their property, strengthening public trust and decisively confronting all forms of crime. At the same time, we welcome the professional and responsible investigative work of the media, which contributes to raising public awareness of this problem and encourages institutional responses in the interest of society as a whole," the UP stressed.
ODT: Legal decision of Prosecutor Španjević Volkov
The Podgorica Basic State Prosecutor's Office confirmed to "Vijesti" that prosecutor Snežana Španjević Volkov legally dismissed the criminal complaint filed against Podgorica resident N. Lopičić by one of "Vijesti's" interlocutors, a victim of loan sharks.
On February 11, "Vijesti" published the confession of a Podgorica resident who reported a loan shark a decade ago, in March 2016, and again six years later.
This interlocutor claimed that the police did everything they could to protect him from the person to whom he had returned many times more money than he had lent for his pregnant wife's treatment, and were prosecuting the loan shark, but that the prosecutor sided with the loan shark.
"We inform you that the acting state prosecutor, having assessed the content of the case file and the evidence obtained during the investigation, has dismissed the criminal complaint against the person NL, for the criminal offense of usury, because there is no reasonable suspicion that he committed the reported or any other criminal offense for which he is being prosecuted ex officio. The filer of the criminal complaint, the person SK, has been notified, personally and through a proxy, that the criminal complaint against the person NL has been dismissed," the Podgorica Public Prosecutor's Office responded.
They also point out that they have informed the applicant of his right to submit a complaint to the Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica for review of the decision to dismiss the criminal complaint and a direct indictment against NL to the Basic Court in Podgorica, or a proposal to undertake investigative actions to the investigating judge of that court.
"The complainant, SK, exercised his right and filed a complaint with the Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica, requesting a review of the decision of the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica to dismiss the criminal complaint against NL for the criminal offense of usury. Acting on the complaint in question, the Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica determined that the decision of the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica to dismiss the criminal complaint against NL for the criminal offense of usury was made in accordance with the law, of which the complainant was also informed," they explained.
Although the prosecution decided so, the Podgorica resident was found guilty of usury before the Basic Court.
In tomorrow's "News", read who, according to intelligence from the security sector, are the loan sharks from Danilovgrad, and the confession of one of the loan sharks' victims...
Predrag and Miloš Baletić: We are not involved in loan sharking, we are not members of clans
The text "Hotel as the headquarters of the underworld", which mentions certain brothers P. and M. Baletić in the context of usury within the Kavač clan in Nikšić, on behalf of Too dear i Miloš Baletić the lawyer reacted Perko Gluščević.
"With contempt and indignation, we reject any accusations against us that we are engaged in usury or that we are members of any criminal clans. Such claims particularly hurt and insult us, bearing in mind that these are two people who lead a completely peaceful and family life, and who have painstakingly and honestly earned every cent from their work throughout their lives, without anyone's help, as our fellow citizens can testify. Publishing such unverified, inaccurate, tendentious and harmful information grossly damages our reputation, honor and dignity, but also seriously endangers our personal safety and the safety of our families, and misleads the entire public. We especially emphasize that no criminal or misdemeanor proceedings have ever been conducted against us, nor are any criminal or misdemeanor proceedings being conducted, that we have never been convicted, nor are there any records that could question the legality of our actions, which is why allegations that we are members of any criminal organization are particularly disgusting and malicious. Publishing information based on alleged, anonymous 'interlocutors', without any evidence or verification, represents a serious omission and a gross violation of the basic principles of journalistic ethics.
We inform the public that we will not stop at this denial, but will file a civil lawsuit seeking compensation for damage due to violation of reputation and honor, as well as criminal charges for endangering security.
"Given that we do not want to further contribute to the media promotion of unfounded accusations, we will no longer advertise in this way, but exclusively before the competent authorities. We point out that we will use all available legal means to defend and defend our honor and that of our families," reads the response signed by Predrag Baletić and Miloš Baletić, and submitted to Vijesti by lawyer Gluščević.
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