They put me in a car, they almost kidnapped me before that and drove me from Budva to Tuzi, to some forest. They forced me to kneel and put a knife to my throat. Then they demanded that I pay off the debt accumulated with interest that they were calculating by transporting cocaine to Serbia for the Tuzi clan. I did not agree.
This is what a coastal resident tells "Vijesti" DK who claims to be a victim of loan sharks D. Š., residing in Budva, and his partner in this illegal business, a Tuzanin LD, but also their threats, racketeering, blackmail, kidnapping.
"For years I have been enduring threats, blackmail, racketeering, kidnappings and legal violence by D. Š. from Kikinda, who lives in Budva, his partner LD from Tuzi and a group of people unknown to me who, by all accounts, are above the laws of Montenegro. I am not a gambler. I am not an alcoholic. I am not a drug addict. I am a family man, a small private entrepreneur, a taxpayer, a citizen who worked honestly for 30 years and invested every euro in his home and business. And then I fell into the trap of a moneylender," says this coastal resident.
He says he has been subjected to terror since 2010, and he showed the journalist extensive documentation that confirms the allegations that the moneylender from whom he borrowed money two years earlier had long since paid him back. Among the documents are handwritten interest “calculations” signed by D. Š.
The authorities, however, remained silent to his cries for protection, and two police officers, whose identities are known to "Vijesti", convinced him to withdraw the reports.
One of them, according to the newspaper's interlocutor, told him that some of their colleagues also owed money to the same loan shark.
The beginning of the problem
Returning to the source of the problem, he states that the crisis arose in 2008, when a foreman was injured at his construction site after "climbing onto a roof slab, disregarding the supervisor's warning not to climb."
"... I was soon banned from using my funds until the proceedings were completed, and all my bank accounts were blocked. Since I did not have the financial means to complete the work I had started, and the proceedings before the Kotor prosecutor's office took a long time, I complained to D. Š., who worked for me as a driver. He said that he had some spare money, but that he would provide me with loans at interest from his friend LD, who was financially powerful enough to finance it. Then he told me that he would use that money to finance me, not to worry about it, but to complete my obligations, and that he was there to provide as much money as needed if I needed it, and that he would stand behind me. That's how it was."
He explains that he realized too late that he had been lent money by an associate of the Drešaj brothers' clan, as he says.
"I realized this in 2010, when the nightmare of frequent pressure and threats began, and later LD, who last came in October 2024 to 'warn' me about the 'new debt', because his friends did not accept my previous painstaking compensation with construction work, from a debt worked out about 11 years ago, and that now I have a new debt towards him, of 30.000 euros, even though I owe him nothing and without any evidence. So, just on his word that I owe him."
Cars, white goods, apartments...
He says that after an accident at a construction site, he borrowed 25.000 euros, and that for every delay, even the smallest, the loan sharks charged him penalties, compounded interest, and seized his movable and immovable property...
"D. Š. took two of my cars, one for himself and the other for sale. He received a huge amount of money from me, white goods, a two-bedroom apartment was transferred to them, and my brothers also paid the interest. Once, LD called D. in front of us and told him to return the pledge - namely the business and warehouse space and the land, which he did the next day, giving my brother a power of attorney, which he later withdrew and deceived us. It is important to explain that this object is worth at least 200.000 euros, and it was pledged in 2011 for a debt with interest in the amount of 37.000 euros, which had already been paid off at that time with about 235.000 euros, if we include the money, cars, white goods, two-bedroom apartment and construction work... However, now even that is not enough for them, so they are putting pressure on me through a bailiff to evict me, even though the court case based on my lawsuit is still ongoing and the review of the court enforcement for eviction has not yet been completed," says DK
He points out that since 2010 it has been unbearable and impossible to pay the high interest on interest and additional penalties that they have been charging him, with "excuses that D. Š. also has to pay his partners because he borrowed part of the money he was missing from them."
"They use him to place funds when he gives to someone, he took a huge amount of money from me in the name of interest, a couple of vehicles from the company, a personal vehicle, and I sold the van at his suggestion and he took the money right away. In addition, I went into debt at a home appliance store... In addition, several times, when he went to Kikinda, I had to pay him for renting a vehicle and I put up with all of this so that he wouldn't come home to Lastva again and threaten me, because he kept saying that he would get drunk on my blood if I cheated him out of payment or if I even thought of reporting him to the police, because he has people with connections," says DK.
Threaten with slaughter
He explains that due to fear and pressure, he took on debt from various sources, because D. Š. told him that he was borrowing money on his behalf and paying the interest to Tuzanin.
“... Once he came during a family celebration and stood in front of the entrance to the house, calling me to come down urgently and make him some money. When my family members heard him, my mother and brother came out and told him that they would report him to the police, telling him that he should be ashamed because I had baptized his child. He left and called me after ten days from a Serbian number, to come to Podgorica urgently, or he would send someone for me. When I arrived, he came for me in a vehicle that he had borrowed from a taxi driver from Budva, and then drove me outside the city, to a meadow with a little forest, where a car with tinted windows was parked, from which two guys got out. They told me to turn my back on them, they threatened to slaughter me with a knife if I did not repay the debt in the next 15 days, or transfer some object to D. Š. They talked to him for a while and left, and he told me: 'Now you are crying. And you should cry when you are weak you listen. You are not aware that you will not be there if you do not fulfill what was said. As of tonight, your debt will be increased, and the interest will be 20 percent if you do not hand over the business warehouse with the salary.' He also told me that it won't work if I rewrite, but that the interest will remain at 10 percent and that I will be able to work more easily. He asked me how much money I had with me. I had 350 euros, which he took from me," says DK
The policeman taught him to withdraw the report.
A day later, he claims, he reported him to the Budva police, who advised him to withdraw. He also says that under pressure, he mortgaged a business and warehouse space with a plot of land, the value of which, he claims, is at least 200.000 euros.
"There was no effect, on the contrary, the inspector called me and advised me to withdraw the report and make peace with Š. and to agree to wait for me for the debt. He, of course, found out everything quickly and said that he had a solution for everything. After a few days, I asked the lawyer to draw up a purchase and sale agreement between me and Š. for the property. When she understood what it was about, she advised me to draw up a loan agreement with a guarantee, so that I would be protected. He said that he had to consult, came after 15 minutes and 'explained' to the lawyer that we were godparents and that he was helping me. After a few days, he started pressuring me to draw up a purchase and sale agreement. I couldn't handle the pressure mentally. He claimed that he would give me back the property when I paid off the debt, but I told him to shoot me, feel free... We signed the loan agreement, which was not certified in court, but also the purchase and sale agreement, which was certified... The man who sold me the property also had to sign it, because it was left to I paid him one installment... Š. calmed down after that, but he calculated interest on interest and penalties,” says DK
He states that he called him after a certain time, and after they gave him a total of around 235.000 euros in movable and immovable property and cash, he told him that he had something unresolved with him.
"I told him that he had been ripping me off all these years and that I didn't want to see him... He called again and told me to come urgently, because he was with me." VM from Pržno, from whom I borrowed money to pay him interest. They took me against my will to a notary to sign that I was also indebted to VM, which they used to make Š. withdraw the power of attorney given to my brother... I tried to challenge all of this in court, but he used his connections the whole time," says the Primorje resident.
Speaking about the building that was taken from him and from which they are still trying to evict him, he explains that he built it with his own funds.
"I have bills, photos from all phases of construction, more than 50 witnesses. Electricity, water, telephone, everything has been in my name since 2007. And yet, they are trying to evict me."
He also describes the event when D. Š. and VM came to his house:
"They parked in front of the yard. They told me to get out. I replied that I would call the police. D. Š. said to me: 'Just try'. I immediately called the police in Kotor, gave a description of the vehicle and said that my life was in danger. The patrol stopped them at the hotel and checked their ID. They told the police that they had 'unresolved scores' with me. The police instructed them to resolve it through the court."
He states that he then gave a statement and filed a report at the police station in Kotor.
"Initially, they encouraged me to file a report. However, I had previously been in a situation where a police officer advised me to withdraw the report and 'make a deal', noting that some of their acquaintances also owed money to the same man. After that, I lost trust."
He points out that he initiated a court case to determine the nullity of the contract and withdraw the power of attorney, while on the other hand, eviction proceedings have been initiated against him.
"In the first proceedings, the nullity of the contract between the previous owner and D. Š. was proven, but later, while I was prevented from regularly following the proceedings, the course of the trial was reversed. The dispute is still ongoing. Despite this, enforcement has been initiated for my eviction."
He states that the enforcement agent came to the premises, listed the items and, in order to avoid an incident and show respect for the institutions, handed over the keys in order to receive an additional deadline for moving out.
"I asked for several months to present the issues and find another solution. Instead, I received a solution with a short deadline that all the existing items would be handed over to the other party."
He claims that he pointed out to the court and the enforcement agent that the dispute based on his lawsuit was still ongoing, but that this did not prevent the further course of enforcement.
"I feel like I'm being treated hastily and without understanding the broader context. I've been trying to provide all the documentation, to point out that this is an ongoing dispute. I've asked for an adjournment, but I'm not sure it will be granted."
He adds that he has filed criminal reports several times with the police in Budva and Kotor, as well as with the prosecutor's office, but that some have been dismissed.
"I also submitted audio and video materials, witnesses, interest calculations. Despite that, the proceedings were suspended or had no epilogue."
"You won't be there"
He states that he still feels insecure.
"I have been told several times that I 'will not be there' if I report them again. Despite this, I am addressing institutions, the media and the public. I am not asking for preferential treatment, but for equal protection of the law."
He called on authorities to investigate the origin of the money, the method of calculating interest, and the circumstances under which the contracts were signed.
"I am ready to make all the evidence available. If the law applies to everyone, then it must also apply to those who are engaged in this business."
He says that, despite everything, he hopes that the institutions will react.
"Now, after everything, they've called me to come to the police. After what you're doing... But I can't be sure, especially after the police officer from Kotor, when I was reporting D. Š., called me to see him and tore up the report and taught me to make an agreement with the godfather because he's reasonable... Reasonable? The man who taught me to transport cocaine for the Tuzi clan and who did all this to me, can't be reasonable. Or after the inspector from Budva, after one of the reports, asked me why I made a fuss, why didn't I make an agreement? I sincerely want justice. I want to protect my family and believe that in this country the law is not selective."
Research shows that debt bondage doesn't just happen to the "irresponsible," but that anyone can fall into it - loan sharks are just waiting for a moment of weakness.
Both the interlocutors from the security sector and the survey results show the same thing - 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 possibilities or to cover gambling losses, decisions that today, in conversation with the journalist, they recognize as serious personal mistakes.
Explaining why they literally put their lives in the hands of loan sharks, the interviewees mention complicated procedures in banks, the inability to borrow legally, or creditworthiness.
Whoever lends money or other consumable items and thereby contracts a disproportionate material benefit shall be punished by 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 will be punished with imprisonment from three months to three years and a fine.
The Criminal Code stipulates that a loan shark can be punished with imprisonment from six months to five years and a fine if serious consequences have occurred for the injured party or the perpetrator has obtained material gain in an amount exceeding three thousand euros.
In tomorrow's "News", read the confession of one of the loan shark victims, as well as what the police are doing after the feuilleton was published.
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