"Pandora" test for the new prosecution

The adoption of the Resolution of the European Parliament on the Pandora papers is a clear signal that an efficient and impartial investigation is expected from the countries, and in Montenegro for now there are extremely small chances that such a thing will happen, said the director of the MANS research center. Dejan Milovac.

"This is primarily due to the fact that he is still at the head of the Special State Prosecutor's Office Milivoje Katnic, whose political bias was fully exposed just after the opening of the case of involvement Milo Đukanović and his son in the Pandora papers affair", Milovac told Vijestima.

On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted the Resolution on the Pandora Papers, in which the President of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović, was also criticized, and called for the initiation of fundamental investigations into all violations that occurred in EU jurisdictions.

The MANS Research Center, through a global investigation into offshore business, announced on October 3 that the Pandora Papers stated that Milo and Blazo Djukanovic In 2012, they entered into secret contracts on the management of their assets, hiding behind a complicated network of related companies from Great Britain, Switzerland, the British Virgin Islands, Panama and Gibraltar.

According to these allegations, the son of the President of Montenegro used that structure to form two hidden companies with subsidiary companies in London and Montenegro. So far, the largest database of leaked data contains almost 12 million documents from 14 offshore agencies. One of them is Alcogal, a leading law firm in Panama with offices in all known offshore destinations, including the British Virgin Islands, through which the Đukanović family's business is conducted.

Đukanović's cabinet announced that during 2012, when he was not performing state duties, he worked on establishing the infrastructure for starting business activities with his son and that he founded the Victoria Trust, which, "while he was the owner, did not have any business transaction, he did not open a single bank account, because it was never activated".

Yesterday, Blažo Đukanović was questioned by the SDT in his capacity as a citizen, while Milo Đukanović will make a written statement about the case.

The Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (ASK) has not yet determined whether the President of Montenegro reported to it that he is the owner of a trust.

"ASK, acting on its official duty, initiated proceedings to establish the facts on whether public official Milo Đukanović violated the Law on Prevention of Corruption. The procedure is ongoing," the institution told "Vijesti" two days ago, without specifying when the procedure will be completed.

Milovac said that he is encouraged by the fact that the European Parliament also recognizes the importance of the global investigation of the Pandora paper, in which MANS also participated, as well as the clear recommendation to launch investigations on this occasion in the countries from which the high-ranking state and political officials mentioned in Pandora come.

He assessed that the political influence on the work of SDT is a problem that the European Union has been pointing out for years, while Katnić's latest activities only prove the consequences of the continuous neglect of this problem.

"It is good that the Pandora papers have become part of the international agenda, especially the European one, because the result of the investigation into the affairs of Đukanović will be an indicator of the extent to which the prosecution is independent and able to investigate the highest state officials without political influence. Katnić's capabilities are already known to everyone, and the Pandora papers remain as the first test for the new prosecutor's office," said Milovac.

The Socialist People's Party (SNP) announced yesterday that by adopting the Resolution, the EU showed a clear will and determination to determine the responsibility of European politicians in cases related to the opening of offshore companies whose main function was to hide their assets.

In the Resolution adopted with 578 votes in favor, 28 against and 79 abstentions, the members of the EP stated the most urgent measures that the EU must take in order to close loopholes in the law that currently enable massive tax evasion, money laundering and tax evasion.

"They also requested that the European Commission (EC) take legal measures against member states that do not implement the existing legislation properly. They directed special criticism at the current and former prime ministers and ministers of the member states whose activities were exposed in the 'Pandora Papers,'" the EP announced.

They especially condemned current and former European politicians: the Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, the president of Cyprus Nikos Anastasiades, the Dutch Minister of Finance Vopke Hoekstra, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and former Maltese minister and European commissioner John Daly, whose names are mentioned in the Pandora Papers.

"The resolution also criticizes the president of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Montenegrin President Milo Đukanović", the announcement states.

"Montenegro humiliated once again"

The SNP states that they are sure that even the move of the European Parliament will not be enough motivation for Katnić to begin to shed light on the case, the disclosure of which once again humiliated Montenegro in front of the international public.

"That is why, as they state, it is necessary to make the necessary changes in the prosecution system as soon as possible, in order to properly deal with all criminal acts that represent ballast for Montenegro, regardless of who they come from. "Instead of interrogating Vanja Ćalović Marković, whose NGO MANS discovered Đukanović's involvement in the Pandora papers, it would be better if Milivoje Katnić interrogates the president of the state as soon as possible, so that the Montenegrin public will find out what is really the truth in this case," SNP announced. .