Spajić fears that the Camgoz case will threaten Turkish investments

Prime Minister Milojko Spajic is concerned that non-extradition Biennial of Camgoza Turkey may harm relations between Podgorica and Ankara, especially economic cooperation and Turkish investments in Montenegro, "Vijesti" unofficially learns.

A source close to the top of Spajić's Europe Now Movement (PES) claims that the prime minister is angry with the minister of justice and a party colleague. Andrej Milović for its decision to refuse to extradite to Turkey its citizen accused of multiple serious crimes. The interlocutor says that Spajić is angry because "he was not aware of such an important decision that can have significant consequences."

"He found out about Milović's decision from the media," he said.

The source claims that Spajić and Milović did not meet or discuss the minister's decision not to extradite Camgoz, made on January 22. Yesterday, Milović did not want to answer the questions of "Vijesti" whether, since the decision not to extradite Camgoz, he had talked to Spajić about it, and if so, when and in what way - in a meeting, by text or by phone.

Last Wednesday, the Prime Minister criticized Milović for this move, saying that those who were not politicians or ministers may not have "acquired the habit of informing their superiors about important decisions."

"That will not happen again, from now on I will be informed of all important decisions," he said.

It was also the day before last night, when Spajić said in an interview with the Television of Montenegro that he understood that Milović had the right to the decision he made, but that these decisions "affect a lot on interstate relations and many other things".

"So that ministers and all other members of the Government, as well as other members of the administration, must know that there is still some hierarchy, a line of communication that should exist so that we are all informed, in order to make optimal decisions, or to be aware of why certain decisions are made they bring I do not consider what happened to be a mortal sin. Lack of communication - that's normal. However, both of us must be very busy. However, it is absolutely legitimate that Mr. Milović needs to explain to the public, as well as to all of us, why he did it," Spajić pointed out, adding that he thinks the minister will do it in the coming days.

A source close to the top of PES states that Spajić had two meetings with the Turkish ambassador last week Baris Kalkavan, who, he claims, presented him with arguments for the extradition of Camgoz.

The interlocutor says that "this difficult situation" must somehow be resolved before the end of March, when Spajić should travel to the economic forum in Istanbul, where he should also meet with the president of Turkey. Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The source mentioned, as one of the "threatened investments", the road that would connect BiH with Kosovo via Pljevlja and Bijelo Polje, in which Turkish companies were interested.

Milović did not comment on Spajić's criticisms, except that he said at last week's session of the Parliamentary Committee for Security and Defense that he was the "political backbone" of the head of PES.

Professor at the University of Donja Gorica Nikoleta Djukanovic, assesses for "Vijesti" that there is a greater chance that it will be a performance for the public, than that there is a more serious conflict between Spajić and Milović.

"Given that Milović is often referred to as the political backbone of Mr. Spajić, and bearing in mind his reaction to Spajić's criticisms, it is a more obvious scenario that the criticisms were only for the public, than we could talk about damaging the relationship between the two. The lack of political experience, and in general work experience in government affairs, explains the inappropriate reactions of the interpretation of various decisions in certain departments. This is particularly worrying in those cases where the public would not know about the decisions, and perhaps not even the Prime Minister, if they had not been publicly criticized by NGOs", Đukanović pointed out.

Milović justified the decision not to extradite him by the impaired health condition of the Turkish citizen and his ethnicity, although the decision of the High Court from Podgorica, which became final on June 1, 2023, established that the conditions for extradition were met. "Vijesti" was told by several unofficial sources that the National Security Agency (ANB) determined that Camgoz poses a threat to the national security of Montenegro.

Milović recently told "Vijesta" that he did not have to consult the service before making a decision on extradition, because their opinion does not play a decisive role in extradition. He announced this after the newspaper published that Camgoz, through a member of the Kavaka criminal clan, threatened the Minister of Public Administration Maraš Dukaj who promised his friends from Kosovo and Albania that he would ask the MUP about the possibility of a Turkish citizen legally obtaining asylum in Montenegro.

Camgoz was arrested for the first time in Podgorica on July 6, 2022, and the Police Directorate announced at that time that he had a forged passport with him. Five other Turkish citizens were detained with him, and the Turkish media then announced that they were also wanted by their authorities.

Camgoz is allegedly the leader of an organized criminal group, and according to the Turkish media, his criminal record includes various crimes, murder, wounding, kidnapping, detention, extortion and torture committed in Izmir and its surroundings, illegal collection of checks and bonds...

In October 2021, the Turkish police launched an operation to arrest members of his criminal group, but Camgoz was already safe in Georgia. On the list for arrest, the members of the Izmir Province Police Administration, that is, their Department for the fight against organized crime, had 57 members of Camgoz's gang that day. They arrested 35, and Camgoz and 21 other members of that clan escaped arrest.

In September 2022, the cell in which Camgoz was staying with five other members of the organized criminal group Kavački Klan was searched in the Investigation Prison in Spuz. This was done a few days after Turkish police determined that members of the Camgoza crime clan were involved in the murder of the leader of the Skaljar clan. Jovan Vukotić.

Camgoz was arrested for the second time on January 30, on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of inducing the endorsement of untrue content. The police claim that during 2022, using a fake passport, he founded the company "Lion" with another Turkish citizen.

Another criminal complaint was filed against Camgoz today, because he handed over a forged passport to MUP officers when he applied for temporary residence in 2022.

They are looking for a way to banish Camgoz

According to the knowledge of "Vijesti", the Government is intensively considering the legal possibility of expelling Camgoz, regardless of the fact that an investigation is being conducted against him, after he was recently arrested.

That option, said an interlocutor familiar with the discussions, may rest on the provisions of the Law on Aliens and other acts.

If the state decides on such a measure, it is not clear whether it is possible and how to do it if criminal proceedings are conducted against a foreigner, as is the case with Camgoz.

Also, it is unclear whether he would be deported to the country from which he entered Montenegro or to Turkey, of which he is a citizen.

Several "Vijesti" sources said that Camgoz entered Montenegro from Bosnia and Herzegovina with false documents.