Former President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic He is armed to the teeth - 12 weapons are registered in his name, and the validity of the weapons licenses for two expired in 1996. The “Ruger LCR 38 special +P” pistol, which he received on September 2, 2020 from the then director of the Intelligence and Security Directorate of the Army of Montenegro Miljan Perović, he only reported it to the authorities in January 2025.
This follows from the responses provided to "Vijesti" from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP).
"Upon reviewing the electronic records of the Ministry of the Interior, it was determined that the person you expressed interest in is registered as the owner of 12 weapons for which weapons documents have been issued, namely weapons certificates for possession of weapons and weapons certificates for possession and carrying weapons. For two weapons, the validity of the weapons certificates expired in 1996, while for 10 firearms, the person in question possesses valid weapons certificates," the Ministry of the Interior told Vijesti when asked whether Milo Đukanović is registered in the registers of the Ministry of the Interior as a person who possesses a permit to possess or carry firearms.
Despite the arsenal, the former head of state has never reported to the competent Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (ASK) that he has a single weapon registered in his name or received as a gift, the Agency recently told "Vijesti" and announced the initiation of a new procedure to determine whether he has broken the law.
Although he did not report the gun he received as a gift from OBD for five years, the decision in which the "Ruger" was given to him clearly stated that he was obliged to keep it and use it in accordance with the provisions of the Weapons Act.
The decision that presented the then president with a pistol states that this was done because of Đukanović's special contribution to the development and affirmation of the Intelligence and Security Sector in the field of defense, in accordance with Article 32, paragraph 2 of the Law on Military Intelligence and Security Affairs.
This article stipulates that Military Intelligence and Security Affairs Day is September 2nd, and that for Military Intelligence and Security Affairs Day, the director may award appropriate awards or recognitions.
"Recognitions, within the meaning of paragraph 2 of this Article, are gifts and letters of appreciation. The appearance of the letter of appreciation, types of gifts, as well as the manner of awarding the award or recognition shall be prescribed by the Ministry," the Law stipulates.
Although he received the "Ruger" for Military Intelligence and Security Affairs Day in 2020, he only requested permission to register it in January 2025, meaning he had been illegally holding the revolver for almost five years.
"The person you expressed interest in reported a semi-automatic or repeating short-barreled firearm in 2025, and the basis for registration was a gift in accordance with the Ministry of Defense's decision from 2020. The request for weapons registration was submitted on January 28, 2025," the Ministry of Interior responded.
They also explained that the Ministry of Interior does not receive information about whether someone has received a firearm as a gift until that person submits a request for a firearms license.
“For the weapon in question, the named person was issued a weapons license for possession of weapons on March 7, 2025, based on the decision on the award/gift as proof of the origin of the weapon. For the purposes of deciding on the request in question, the necessary evidence was obtained in accordance with the Law on Weapons (excerpt from the criminal and misdemeanor records, evidence from the competent courts that no criminal proceedings are being conducted against the named person, an official police note that there are no other circumstances indicating that the weapon could be misused, a certificate of competence for the proper use of weapons and a medical certificate of health fitness to hold and carry weapons), based on which evidence the decision on the request in question was made. The current Law on Weapons prescribes a category B 'weapons acquisition permit' to a natural person as a type of weapon document, which is issued if the person meets the general and special conditions from Article 13 of the same law. Based on the issued permit, a natural person can purchase (from an authorized weapons dealer or from a natural person based on a purchase contract) weapons, "and is obliged to submit a request for a weapons license within 8 days of purchasing the weapon," they replied.
They pointed out that Article 107, paragraph 1 of the Law on Weapons, prescribes a fine of 30 to 500 euros if a person fails to submit a request for a weapons license within eight days of purchasing a weapon.
"However, the law does not prescribe the procedure in the case of a gift of weapons (whether by individuals or a service or institution), which is why in practice a gift from the service is treated as proof of the origin of the weapon, and in such cases a request for the issuance of a weapon certificate is submitted directly, as a rule within 8 days of the gift being made or within another deadline determined by the decision of the body making the gift. In this specific case, and based on an insight into the decision of the Ministry of Defense by which the pistol in question was awarded, it is determined that the same decision does not prescribe a deadline for submitting a request for weapon registration, but rather paragraph II stipulates: 'Persons from paragraph I are obliged to keep and use weapons in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Weapons'", explained the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is headed by Danilo Šaranović.
The former president has weapons in his name, the legal representative of his arrested brother announced. Aca Đukanović, lawyer Nikola Martinovic, after his client was questioned on February 28 at the Nikšić Basic State Prosecutor's Office on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of illegal possession of weapons and explosives.
Martinović then said that some of the weapons found belonged to Milo Đukanović, while some were inherited from their late father and, as he said, there is documentation for it.
The former president's office did not respond to "Vijesti"'s questions about why not a single weapon was ever reported in Đukanović's asset reports over the years.
"Upon reviewing the records of the income and asset reports of the former public official to whom your question refers, it was determined that he did not report his ownership of weapons to the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption. The Agency will initiate a procedure to determine relevant facts and evidence in connection with these allegations. The public will be informed of the outcome of the procedure, in accordance with the principles of transparency, immediately upon its completion," the Agency's editorial office, headed by Dušan Drakić, responded.
Businessman Aco Đukanović (60) has been remanded in custody due to fear of flight, after being suspected of the criminal offense of illegal possession and carrying of weapons and explosives.
They would consider whether he was guilty if they found his revolver before 2025.
If police officers had found a gun given to him by the former prime minister and president from September 2020 to January 2025, prosecutors would have had to consider whether he had committed the crime of illegal possession of weapons and explosives.
This follows from the response provided to "Vijesti" from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
They also state that officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, or their regional units/branches, cannot know about the fact of a gift of official weapons to any person by any institution:
“Nor do they have the authority to initiate any proceedings other than deciding on the application for the issuance of a weapons certificate (positively or negatively) depending on all the evidence obtained.”
"A similar situation exists with the inheritance of weapons, where the inheritance procedure lasts for several years, and the weapons are still with family members and cannot be registered without a final decision on inheritance, with family members not handing over the weapons and ammunition for safekeeping until the end of the inheritance procedure. In the specific case, if in the period from the gift made (2020) to the submission of the request for the issuance of a weapons certificate (2025), the Police Directorate found the weapon in question without a weapons certificate, based on the report of the Police Directorate, the competent prosecutor's office would assess whether there are elements of the criminal offense of unauthorized possession and carrying of weapons and explosives," the Ministry of Internal Affairs said.
They also explain that former presidents or any state officials are not exempt from the law regulating the possession or assignment of firearms.
"The provisions of the current Law on Weapons regulate, among other things, the acquisition, possession, carrying, collection and transfer of Category B weapons, for natural and legal persons who meet the conditions prescribed by that law, without prescribing an exception for former presidents of states or any other public officials," the Ministry of the Interior said.
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