Marković: MPs and I do not speak the same language

Supreme State Prosecutor Milorad Marković told the MPs not to "speak the same language".

He said this during today's session of the Assembly where the Report on the work of the Prosecutor's Council was discussed.

"It is very difficult to speak with you today. Especially because today, instead of a report, we are talking about specific cases. This is not a prosecution, nor a courtroom," said the Supreme State Prosecutor.

He added that not a single piece of information was leaked to the media while the investigation was ongoing, and that the individual responsibility of the prosecutors can only be determined by the Prosecutor's Council or the court if it is a matter of criminal responsibility, but also contested the claims of the leader of the Democratic People's Party (DNP) Milan Knežević that he was "sending an emissary to persuade him to vote for him".

"I didn't say that you sent me emissaries, but that they came to convince me to vote for you. And I can tell you the names," replied the DNP leader.

Knežević reminded Marković of the "meeting when he was only a candidate, which was extended by the current Minister of Justice Andrej Milović".

"Do you remember that meeting? Did we talk in Prime Minister Spajić's office? And did I then say that I will not support you because my head is full of godfathers, siblings, stepsisters in the Special State Prosecutor's Office and in the courts? said that you don't give up your godparents? Did I announce that I won't vote anymore, someone is someone's godfather, whose sister is with someone in the prosecutor's office, someone was tearing someone's navel, someone was going to someone's wedding ceremony," said the DNP leader. and added that he will not take part in it because "he went through the labyrinth of the innocent when the judiciary was managed by Vesna Medenica, Milivoje Katnić, Ivica Stanković and many others".

He also said that at that time he said that he would not vote for the election of Marković, but that, when it came to voting, he gave conditional support, and that he did not mention a coup d'état, but that he was acting according to the Law and the Constitution.

The biggest problem of judicial institutions is the mortgage of the ugly past, and the biggest success is getting rid of it, said the member of the Movement Europe Now (PES) Darko Dragović.

"We have witnessed a large number of newspaper correspondence and court proceedings that indicate that judges during the period of the former government were not independent in their work, and that they acted on the orders of the former president of the Supreme Court (Vesna Medenica), all with the aim of realizing the interests of individuals close to the former government Also, we are witnessing a large number of criminal proceedings in which the former heads of the state prosecution and police appear as suspects criminal networks," said the PES deputy.

Dragović added that there is good cooperation between all branches of government, and that the State Prosecutor's Office and the court system participated in the drafting of the law in order to improve the quality of judicial bodies.

The president of the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Andrija Nikolić, assessed that the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) was "politically instrumentalized".

"Citizens will remember that, after the change of government in 2020, amendments to the Law on the Prosecutor's Council were voted with the idea of ​​changing the structure within the council, i.e. to ensure the supremacy of distinguished lawyers in relation to prosecutors. At that time, the parliamentary majority, contrary to the opinion of the Venetian commission (VK) appointed politically suitable eminent lawyers with the intention of securing a majority in the prosecutor's council and dealing with the previous system. so that the Montenegrin public does not notice it," he said and added that "there was never a message from the DPS that the responsibility of any individual should not be established, if there is a well-founded suspicion".

As he said, they did not comment on the work of the SDT and the work of the chief special prosecutor Vladimir Novović for two years.

"Did any criminal offense occur for this prosecution after August 30, 2020, or were the targeting devices of the prosecution set up to criminalize the former DPS government? Everything points to the fact that this is a joint action prepared by politics and the media, and later elaborates the SDT in its actions. The attempt to criminalize the DPS and stick the labels that the DPS is the political wing of the mafia and that these people here work for some mafia, unwilling to distance themselves from this or that clan, is reinforced by the fact that the DPS, despite that campaign, today the strongest political current in Montenegro and that its rating is stable," Nikolić pointed out.

The head of the parliamentary DPS pointed out that "they look with disgust at murders that have the signature of a criminal clan", but also at transcripts in Sky applications.

"Do those transcripts include officials from the new government after 2020? They mention it. Can that mean something? I don't know. We won't claim anything, but we see selectivity in the actions of the prosecution, as well as in reading the Sky transcripts. What is with transcripts about the acquisition of Kalashnikovs for the election day of August 30, 2020, where criminals communicate among themselves and say that they should acquire Kalashnikovs, hide them in monasteries and temples, and that they should be prepared to provoke an armed rebellion and attack institutions in in case the option supported by criminals does not win the election? What about the correspondence that says that members of the clans had their people in the headquarters of certain winning political parties after August 30?" asked Nikolić.

He also recalled the correspondence in which certain criminals say that they bought votes for political parties.

"What about the Pljevlja Coal Mine (RUP), which was concluded with a newly founded company that has one employee in the amount of 62 million euros? What about the contract for the sale of coal to Elektroprivreda Srbije at suspiciously low prices, while neighboring countries sold the same coal at higher prices Has anyone investigated how the then director of RUP illegally distributes contracts in Elektroprivreda Crne Gore (EPCG) and the purchase of Željezara for 20 million euros? damage to the state? What about the government's role in that business? What about gambling at the expense of the state with a 20.000 euro card, and I remember how the media "Who was smoking at the expense of the state?" said Nikolić.

The head of the DPS caucus also pointed to the double negative reports issued by the State Audit Institution (DRI) on the operations of the Montenegrin Electric Distribution System (CEDIS) and Montefarm, as well as on the final account of the then Minister of Finance and current Prime Minister Milojko Spajić for 2022.

"It is true that during the previous five years, some officials from the time of DPS rule were arrested. There is not a conscientious citizen in Montenegro who is not concerned about this. And it is not pleasant for anyone. But what is crucial for us is that those people accessible to justice, i.e. they have not escaped from Montenegro, and I would not declare them guilty before the court does it. However, what is being done in Montenegro is neither ethical nor professional with the best international standards. This has never been done in Montenegro - for people to put up with someone else's pain," said Nikolić and added that everyone who is guilty has a family, and that private correspondence that is in the possession of the prosecutor's office is being misused today. to the public "in order to politically compromise a certain structure of people".

As he added, it is "nonsensical" to claim that defense lawyers are delivering these correspondences to the media, and that they are compromising their clients in that way.

"Today, due to the admission of Veselin Veljović to the Clinical Center of Montenegro, the police are investigating the doctor," said Nikolić.

He told Supreme State Prosecutor Milorad Marković, who is attending the session, that if there are no answers to these questions, the day will come when he will insist on the individual responsibility of prosecutors.

The leader of the Civil Movement (GP) URA Dritan Abazović said that "the judicial branch of government is dying" because every year they have 20.000 more cases than the previous one, which means that in 10 years there will be 200.000.

He added that it is necessary to find a model, in cooperation between the Judicial Council and the Parliament, which would lead to faster resolution of cases.

Abazović pointed out that not all activities of the prosecution can be reduced to reading correspondence from the Sky application, because there are cases that are not represented in them.

"When it comes to issues from 2023, I want to return to the 'Do Kwon' case. A criminal complaint was filed even before the parliamentary elections, which was directed against the then prime minister and the minister of the interior, as well as against unknown persons. I I can't believe it, and I personally think that it is a proof of this subjectivity that partially exists in that organization, that until now we have no output related to that application. I am covered by that application and if I am responsible, I want to answer I don't. I think that the prosecution has now, through the Americans, discovered who is one of the main investors in that fraudulent fund, and that is the current prime minister, Milojko Spajić. I claim here, he did not want to answer, that he had the company Das Capital together with the people from Singapore. I asked him about it here and I doubt that SDT is protecting him," he said, adding that "Kwon's computer has not been investigated yet."

Responding to Abazović's allegations about Spajić, PES deputy Miloš Pižurica called on him to, whenever he has any evidence that the prime minister was involved in criminal activities, present it publicly, and that they will file a criminal complaint together.

The leader of GP URA said that it bothers him that "Pižurica is trying to defend the indefensible".

Miodrag Laković pointed out that "today's topic is not the prime minister's hour", and that "MPs who have a problem with the prime minister will have the opportunity to ask him questions".

The leader of the Democratic People's Party (DNP) Milan Knežević pointed out that the working method of the chief special prosecutor and the supreme state prosecutor "is copied from their predecessors Milivoj Katnić and Ivica Stanković".

"They regularly make balances after every media criticism and political announcement, wanting to send a message that everyone is equal to them," he said, adding that what the SDT has been doing in the past weeks "represents the pattern of behavior of Katnić from his golden period, because they make a balance between deputies coalition of the ZBCG and those who crushed people".

Knežević pointed out that the behavior of prosecutor Jelena Protić, who "suddenly fell ill" before the reading of the closing arguments in the "Coup d'etat" case, deserves direct disciplinary punishment by Marković and Novović.

He added that the case is getting two new prosecutors - Zoran Vučinić and Siniša Milić.

"On Christmas, Mr. Vučinić attended a lunch that I organized at the house of one of my friends. A man came and said all sorts of things about the 'coup d'état' - that it was a shame, that what Katnić and Čađenović were doing was a crime, and even asked me to use my influence for him to be the head of the prosecutor's organization in Podgorica. And instead of the man being exempted, because he ate pork with me, he wants me to be sentenced for five years... remained an advisor in a state-owned company," said Knežević.

The leader of the DNP asked the question "is he a terrorist in 2021 when he should vote for Vladimir Novović as the chief special prosecutor"?

"Everyone who is guilty - both from the Democratic Front (DF) and from the DPS, should be held accountable. But they will not engage in politics," Knežević told Marković.

DPS MP Jevto Eraković told Marković that he had to show authority when it comes to Šavnik and Andrijevica.

Jovan Vučurović (NSD) said that there is no justice in Montenegro until "all those who staged the 'fake coup' are brought to justice".

Marković told the MPs not to "speak the same language".

"It is very difficult to speak with you today. Especially because today, instead of a report, we are talking about specific cases. This is not a prosecution, nor a courtroom," said the Supreme State Prosecutor.

He added that he did not leak any information to the media while the investigation was ongoing, and that the individual responsibility of the prosecutors can only be determined by the Prosecutor's Council or the court if it is a matter of criminal responsibility, but also disputed that "he sent an emissary to Knežević to convince him that he yes voice".

Assembly President Andrija Mandić determined that all clubs have three minutes each to address Marković.

Danijel Živković (DPS) said that both the Supreme State Prosecutor and the Chief Special Prosecutor were invited earlier.

Mandić noted that the Montenegrin law is such that the chief special prosecutor and the supreme state prosecutor are not obliged to come when the deputies invite them and invited Živković to start an initiative to change the law.

Knežević pointed out that his criticism was fully founded and added that Marković was elected in the parliament, and that he has no right to threaten anyone.

MP Nikola Zirojević of the Social Democrats (SD) asked whether the supreme state prosecutor was conditioned by the verdict for the so-called a coup d'état.

Knežević replied that the club of DNP deputies demanded from Marković to determine the issue of the so-called coup, and that he and Novović "became more rigid than Čađenović and Katnić".

"Marković and Novović could have dropped the indictment at any time, they already represented it better than Katnić and Čađenović," said the DNP president.

The agenda for the session on Tuesday was established, the discussion on the reports of the Prosecutor's Council and the Judicial Council

In the continuation of the session, the agenda for the Sixth Session of the First Regular (Spring) Session in 2024 was established, and then the discussion on the reports of the Prosecutor's Council and the Judicial Council continued.

The agenda was supplemented by the proposal of the Law on Inspection Supervision proposed by the Government.

Explaining the proposal to amend the Labor Law, the representative of the Socialist People's Party (SNP) Bogdan Božović said that, according to the same, the solution to permanent employment is given to workers after two years of fixed-term employment.

The second proposal proposed by the SNP-Civis caucus refers to the law on PIO, i.e. on workers who worked in the heavy metal zone, and where they would have the right to a pension after 25 years of work.

Both proposals were won.

URA MP Miloš Konatar, explaining the draft law that increases the child allowance by 50 percent, pointed out that the prices have increased since the time when these fees were introduced.

The proposal was not adopted because ten deputies voted for it.

Konatar pointed out that the parliamentary majority does not vote for the proposals of the Law submitted by the opposition, and that it was not a problem for him to support certain of their proposals, such as the proposal concerning port workers.

Speaking about his second proposal, the proposal for the Law on Amendments to the Law on PIO, the deputy GP URA pointed out that it refers to proportionate pensioners who receive the smallest pensions in Montenegro.

"Our proposal was initially made in December of last year, when the budget was being adopted and the minimum pension was raised, that it should apply to them as well. In this way, we are testing the parliamentary majority that announced that, from January 1, 2025, pensioners who are proportionately entitled to receive a minimum pension in in the amount of 450 euros," said Konatar.

This proposal was not accepted either, because 18 MPs voted for it.

The proposal of the law on confiscation of property benefits obtained through crime and corruption was explained by the second deputy of the General Assembly of URA, Filip Adžić.

He pointed out that "under the guise of IBAR, solutions were adopted that are not adequate for the moment in which we live and the fight against organized crime and corruption that started a few years ago, and which reached its peak in 2023".

"We expected that, with new legal solutions, we would help the people who fight against organized crime and corruption to get certain tools and mechanisms to deliver results to the end and to stand in the way of the mafia that, you saw, used to rule Montenegro, and now is again returns and occupies institutions," said Adžić.

He added that his party proposed a law last year that was rejected because it was "not strong enough", and that, as part of the so-called IBAR law, a weaker solution was adopted.

After his presentation, Mandić added that the proposal did not pass the Legislative Committee and asked to vote for the complete agenda.

Knežević asked to take a break, because his caucus has a meeting of party bodies, and to continue today or tomorrow.

Mandic said that tomorrow (Tuesday, July 8) at 12 o'clock they will continue with the reports of the Prosecutor's Council and the Judicial Council.