Defense Minister Dragan Krapović said that the accusations by the president and MP of the URA Civic Movement, Dritan Abazović, as well as "a part of the media", are aimed at thwarting the project of acquiring patrol boats for the Navy of the Army of Montenegro.
Krapović called a media conference today because of, as he says, Abazović's accusations against him.
"Parliament decided to postpone it, but the seriousness of the accusations required me to call the press already today. The accusations by Abazović, but also by a part of the media, are aimed at thwarting this project of procurement of patrol boats. Accusations of corruption are accusations of Montenegrin and for the French side, because the company we purchase from is majority owned (62 percent) by the French government," Krapović told reporters.
He referred to Abazović's accusations and words that someone was going to "embedding" 19 million and the request to state the name of the Polish company that is allegedly an intermediary.
"There is no Polish company that is involved in this business or mediates in it. This is a notorious untruth, as Abazović is wont to do. These claims are malicious and driven by daily politics, modeled on his ideological models DPS," said Krapović.
He says that Abazović, "who knows everything", should know that the Minister of Internal Affairs in his Government, Filip Adžić, who coordinated the Ministry of Defense, authorized Krsto Perović, then State Secretary in the Department of Defense, to form a commission tasked with with the offers of three companies, make a report on the offers.
"Abazović, in essence, accused Perović and Adžić of somehow managing the process incorrectly. I was free to contact Perović, who pointed out that one of the most significant activities was the initiation of the process for the procurement of new vessels. I believe that the commission made the report professionally and that the company Kership made the best offer," said the minister.
He says that in France the talks were conducted through attachés and that there were no intermediary companies.
"I expect Abazović to apologize in parliament. It is very ugly that you try to compromise the state project in this way," he said.
"Apropos the price of 120 million euros, the request to include those figures in the budget for 2024 was proposed by the 43rd Government. The entire project was led by Colonel Vladan Martić, former director of the Logistics Directorate, who was appointed to that position during the coordination of Adžić," he added. is Krapović.
He says that Abazović sided with "Peđa Bošković and Dragan Samardžić". "This is not Abazovic's first time," he said.
When asked by journalists about the purchase of new ships, given that the Adriatic coast is protected by other NATO members, he said that this was written in the NATO goals.
He pointed out that Montenegro is incapable of controlling sovereign military rights at sea with existing vessels.
He added that Montenegro will participate in the "Sea Guardian" action by being on other people's ships, and that credibility would be raised if they sent a ship to such an action.
"We made the best possible choice"
Krapović said that Abazović's statements that he started the procurement process are not correct, because "he did not sign anything and it is clear before the parliament what is related to the French side and only then will the contract be signed, and the decision was made during my mandate".
He answered the question of "Vijesti" when exactly the decision was made on the procurement of Kership OPV-60 type ships, bearing in mind that the Ministry of Defense in the answer to the newspaper's question in March of this year claimed that the definitive decision had not yet been made and that the talks were continuing with several interested shipyards, while former Prime Minister Abazović claims that his government also agreed on the deal with the French for 120 million euros.
Krapović could not answer the question of "Vijesti" what was included in the purchase price of the Kership OPV-60 ships of a maximum of 120 million euros - which weapons and sensors, whether the training of the crew or the contingent of spare parts was also included in that price, explaining that under a degree of secrecy.
When asked how this process of procurement of patrol ships differs from the procurement process of medium multi-purpose helicopters for the Air Force of the Republic of Croatia, or light armored patrol vehicles for the Land Army of the Republic of Croatia, which were carried out by the former top of the Ministry of Defense and the Republic of Croatia led by Admiral Dragan Samardžić, and that In these previous two procurements, were tenders announced, at which the most economically advantageous offer was chosen, and if not, why were they not, he said:
"The difference is that the process is much more transparent. There was no tender then, but the Ministry of Defense negotiated the complete work with companies - through the Pentagon, that is, with a Canadian company. This procedure is much more transparent because it was proposed before the Parliament and before the public. Through all stages of this procedure, the public was informed and I believe that we will acquire ships to the pride of the country, and that we will raise the credibility of Montenegro in the world".
"Vijesti" asked Krapović if he had any knowledge that the former management of the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces once negotiated with the Brodosplit BSO shipyard from Split for the type of "Omiš" patrol ships used by the Croatian Navy, and how they differed from Croatian from French ships, by price, equipment...
"I have no information, Samardžić said. As far as I know, the 'Omiš' ships are intended for the coast guard, which in Croatia is part of the army. I think that the French ships exceed the capabilities of the 'Omiš' class ships. Keršip is our choice for a huge number of reasons. I think we made the best possible choice," said the minister.
"I have ensured that the chain of defense is functioning"
Krapović also touched upon the issue of the Chief of General Staff of the Croatian Army, Brigadier General Zoran Lazarevic.
"Before the formation of the 43rd Government, Abazović and Đukanović met, and the condition of the DPS president was to remove Đurović from that position and appoint Lazarević," he said.
When asked by a journalist if he demanded a session of the Defense and Security Council at which Lazarevic would be dismissed, Krapovic said that the decision on retirement is made by the PIO Fund, not the Ministry of Defense.
"The decision to remove Lazarević was not accepted by Milatović, he has the right to do so, and the citizens will say what they think about it," he pointed out.
Answering the question of what will happen if the president of the country, Jakov Milatović, is against it again, Krapović said that the Ministry of Defense initiated the termination of service, and that someone whose service has ended must be dismissed.
When asked by journalists whether, if Milatović does not agree, the Army will be left without a commander, Krapović said that there are clearly prescribed mechanisms in the law on how to proceed in that case.
"In the Ministry of Defense, I provided everything for the defense chain to function," he announced.
Krapović, when asked by a journalist why the dismissal of Lazarevic was due to a change of generations, taking into account that in countries in the region the Chief of General Staff are people close to Lazarevic in terms of age, answered that Lazarevic was eligible for retirement a year before his arrival at the head of the MoD.
"What they will do in Slovenia, Macedonia, Mozambique - that is a matter for those countries. If I make a decision, it will be by force of law," he said.
When asked how logical it is to rejuvenate the staff, when the service life of soldiers is extended to 58 years, he said that this is an idea that has not yet been proposed.
He added that he annulled Adžić's decision, but not the decision on termination of service.
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