Bečić: In the legal and institutional sense, we will crush the tentacles of organized crime and corruption

We will continue with victories, and in the legal and institutional sense we will crush all tentacles of organized crime and corruption, whether they are inside or outside the institutions of the system, said Deputy Prime Minister and coordinator of the Bureau for Operational Coordination (BOK) Aleksa Bečić.

Bečić's office announced that he and the Minister of Internal Affairs, Danilo Saranović, visited the Special Police Department (SPO) today, in the presence of the head of the SPO, Predrag Šuković, and the head of the Anti-Crime Sector, Lazar Šćepanović.

The announcement states that Bečić expressed his gratitude and full support to the dedicated and brave members of the SPO, stressing that the Government and the state must improve the conditions in which they work.

"Our brave and hard-working officers deserve it, because their contribution to the uncompromising fight against organized crime and corruption and the healing of Montenegrin institutions really causes great pride and satisfaction for all of us. It is an honor that I had the opportunity to greet and thank them today,' said Bečić.

He said that the excellent cooperation between the competent state institutions led to great results that the entire public witnessed in the previous few months.

"As the coordinator of the intelligence and security sector and the vice-president of the Government for security, I am a witness of excellent cooperation within the entire Sector for the fight against crime, SPO as one of its key segments, cooperation with ANB and other intelligence and security sector authorities. The security sector cooperates very well with the SDT and other competent prosecutor's offices, and as a result of that cooperation we witness daily prosecutions, arrests, seizures, bringing to justice fugitives from justice, but also the prosecution of many civil servants from the security or other sectors of the state apparatus, which in every place and at every step we show our determination to clean state institutions of all those who have ties to organized crime and build the country on clear principles of the rule of law,'' Bečić pointed out.

He said that "our message is clear and unique".

"Whatever your name is, whatever religion, nation or other affiliation you are, whatever criminal clan you belong to, justice will surely reach you, justice will not bypass you, because there are no more untouchables in Montenegro, there are no protected in Montenegro and no more no one will ever be stronger than the state. We have a clear goal of the obstructions and challenges we continuously face, but they only motivated us all together to continue the uncompromising fight against organized crime and corruption, together, as a team, bravely and decisively, because in the most important game that Montenegro plays against organized crime and corruption will not have unsolved outcomes. We will continue with victories, and in the legal and institutional sense we will crush all the tentacles of organized crime and corruption, whether they are inside or outside the institutions of the system. Justice comes, justice is seen every day and justice will continue to achieve victories in Montenegro,'' concluded Bečić.

In the announcement, it is written that Šaranović emphasized the immeasurable importance of the SPO in the security sector of Montenegro.

"SPO continuously delivers results in the fight against organized crime and corruption, which until not so long ago the citizens of Montenegro could only dream of in their deepest dreams. For this reason, SPO should not be the target of any attacks, but as one of the most important part of the system that decisively fights against organized crime and corruption, it must have the support of the entire state apparatus, but also of the wider public," Šaranović said.

He added that this visit is an opportunity to exchange opinions with SPO officials about the conditions in which they work.

"Poor working conditions impose on us the obligation to urgently, without further delay, as decision-makers, take all possible steps in order to raise the working conditions of the members of the Special Police Department to a higher level, because in this way the excellent results they achieve in the fight against of organized crime are sure to be even better," Saranović concluded.