The security sector separates the wheat from the chaff

Minister of Interior Affairs Danilo Šaranović and director of the Police Administration Lazar Scepanovic announced that the proposed amendments to the Law on Internal Affairs are a key step in police reform and the fight against organized crime, emphasizing that resistance to this law comes from those who want "the mafia to take over the state"...

Šaranović said at a press conference that the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Montenegro confirmed that the draft laws on internal affairs and the National Security Agency (ANB), as well as the amendments, have been coordinated with the European Commission (EC).

He also pointed out that the EU Delegation's statement was misinterpreted in public and that the European Commission did not dispute the law, but rather confirmed that the proposed changes had been agreed with European partners in previous months.

"It has been confirmed that the draft laws on internal affairs and the National Security Agency have been harmonized with the EC and that every letter of the submitted amendments to the law on internal affairs has been harmonized with the EC, except for part of the old law on internal affairs," said Šaranović.

The disputed issues, as he explained, relate to certain provisions of the old law that will subsequently be harmonized with European data protection rules.

"I am referring to the norms of the old Law, which exist in this law and were passed during the former DPS government, and concern the area of ​​personal data protection," he said.

The Minister emphasized that without the adoption of the law, it will not be possible to fulfill key obligations in the European integration process, especially within Chapter 24, which relates to justice, freedom and security.

He pointed out that one of the biggest problems is the serious personnel deficit in the police.

According to him, Montenegro must have around 1.900 police officers in the border police, while there are currently around 900, and as many as 600 of them will soon be eligible for retirement.

Therefore, he explained, it is necessary to enable the employment of police officers with secondary education, as the current law only provides for employment with college or university degrees. This, he said, is the reason why the state has not been able to announce a competition for new police officers for months.

"Who cares about the reform law on internal affairs? Who cares about the law that protects the police from all forms of crime and unauthorized influence? Who cares about the law that prohibits the use of police powers by officers charged by the Special State Prosecutor's Office with organized crime? Who cares about the law that prohibits the use of police powers by drug users? Who cares about the law that also prevents the disclosure of data from the police service to members of organized crime groups? And finally, who cares about the law that breaks the last branches of the smuggling and police cartel in the police?" asked Šaranović.

He said that the answer is clear: "The law hinders those who want crime to continue to reside in institutions, in order to preserve their criminally acquired assets."

The minister also pointed out that the law helps the overwhelming majority of police officers who do their jobs honorably, but are forced to work a huge amount of overtime due to a lack of staff.

Šaranović pointed out that the law that stipulates that high school graduates are employed in the police, but also that a police officer be appointed to every settlement, neighborhood and schoolyard, only bothers those who want organized crime and the mafia in Montenegro to continue to have their own institutions and their representatives in them.

"We will not allow this and it is clear that there is no European path without a clean, professional, resilient and decriminalized police... It is completely clear that this law protects the state from the mafia, protects the police from crime and these are the only reasons why individuals are against the adoption of such a law," said Šaranović.

Responding to journalists' questions about support for the laws in parliament, Šaranović said that the Assembly overwhelmingly supports the initiated reform processes and that the parliamentary majority is committed to assisting the Ministry of Interior in fulfilling the obligations arising from the closure of Chapter 24.

Asked about the positions of the Europe Now Movement (PES) MEPs, he Miodrag Lakovića, who opposes the adoption of such laws, said that individual views are less important and that they have good cooperation with PES.

"I really have great cooperation with all my colleagues from PES, and it is not surprising that we have continuous support for all the reform processes in the Ministry of Interior and the Police, but it is also not surprising that we very often have opposing views with the President of the Security Committee," said Šaranović.

Šaranović denied allegations that the EU suggested to the Government to withdraw the draft laws.

Police Directorate Director Lazar Šćepanović emphasized that the goal of the law is to strengthen the professional integrity of the police and prevent the infiltration of organized crime into the security sector.

According to him, the police have been facing a serious staffing deficit for years, but also with inherited problems that stem from the period when certain criminal structures had a strong influence on institutions.

"It is about internal and national security and public interest, which is above every individual," he said.

Šćepanović pointed out that the law introduces clear rules on "serious security impediments", which include situations in which a police officer cannot perform his job, for example, if he maintains contacts with organized crime groups, discloses confidential information, or is subject to criminal proceedings for serious acts of organized crime or corruption.

He explained that in such cases, police officers will not be able to remain in the police force, as this would represent a serious blow to the integrity of the institution.

"If a police officer sits with criminals in bars and maintains continuous contact with them, citizens will not trust that police. And without the trust of citizens, there is no effective police force," said Šćepanović.

"When a policeman sits with Radoj Zvicer"Will citizens trust that police officer - of course not," he added, stating that those police officers will only be left without police powers, not without jobs.

"They will not have access to permits," he said.

According to him, around 50 police officers are currently being linked to serious crimes, including drug trafficking, collaboration with the tobacco mafia, corruption and leaking classified information.

He stressed that the police cannot wait years for final verdicts while such officers remain in the system and receive a salary, because that would mean the state is financing its own criminalization.

Šćepanović rejected claims that the law could be used for political showdowns, emphasizing that the police must be completely depoliticized.

"While I am at the head of the police, I don't care who belongs to which political party. I only care whether a police officer is connected to the mafia and whether he is leaking police information," he said.

He explained that decisions on possible security concerns will be made by a special commission based on evidence and information collected by the police, the Special State Prosecutor's Office, the National Security Agency, and other competent institutions.

"We had a study on usury, where police officers were in the comments of the victims - to work together, to protect them instead, or to dissuade them from submitting their friends. Well, we do not accept such compromises. We accept a strong, determined and independent police force that will establish the rule of law. These aspirations of individuals will not affect the security system at all, but the entire security system can't wait to separate the wheat from the chaff," said Šćepanović.

Responding to questions from Vijestel journalists, Šaranović said that retroactive effect, that is, the law being applied retroactively, in proceedings that have already begun, is not unconstitutional "if the Parliament declares that there is a public interest."

He said that the public is witnessing the involvement of certain police officers in serious crimes, corruption, drug trafficking and threats against journalists.

"This law guarantees the rule of law, legal certainty and protects police officers from unfounded accusations. It is not true that police officers will be able to lose their jobs based on mere information," said Šćepanović.

According to him, the Police Directorate "can't wait to separate the wheat from the chaff."

"We have police officers whose assets are worth millions, who have between one million and 50 million in their accounts," said Šćepanović.

"Citizens have the right to know, the state has an obligation to protect them, to guarantee them that police officers will be loyal, honest, honorable, professional, to act indiscriminately, to be politically and ideologically neutral, to work for no one's interests, but for the interests of the law, the Constitution, and to defend Montenegro with the Constitution and the law, and not to defend it with a cover-up, or when it comes to lucrative jobs. Montenegro will defend itself from everyone. All malignant external and internal elements will be identified, and those responsible will be prosecuted... The new national priority, which will be addressed to the National Security Council, is hybrid action aimed at destabilizing the security environment in the country," said Šćepanović.