The National Security Agency (ANB) is checking whether the information about the President of Montenegro is correct Jakov Milatović is preparing an assassination, which she recently received through a source from abroad and informed his cabinet and the Police Directorate (UP), "Vijesti" learns.
In the answers to the questions of "Vijesti" about a possible serious threat to the head of state, the Police Directorate and MIlatović's cabinet confirmed the existence of such information, while the ANB did not respond.
"The Cabinet of the President of Montenegro was informed that the credibility of the information about the possible threat to the security of the President of the State, Jakov Milatović, is being examined. We have not received any further details. We have been informed that the relevant authorities have taken the above into consideration and processing, and we are waiting for further information," MIlatović's public relations office replied to "Vijesta".
The police administration told the paper that "President Milatović's safety is not threatened", but that the information about this possibility is being checked, not wanting to say what it is specifically about, "taking into account the nature of the information and the need for data secrecy".
"The National Security Agency has informed the Police Department of certain information related to the subject of your questions, which is being checked by the Agency. For now, it is still unverified information about a possible threat".
The UP claim that they are aware that the Agency has "communicated" with Milatović and his cabinet regarding the received information, which "is not the source".
One of the interlocutors of "Vijesti", familiar with the information of the Montenegrin secret service, said that the information about the alleged planning of the assassination of Milatović reached ANB indirectly from two related sources, from two countries in the Western Balkans.
Those sources allegedly reported that the alleged main organizer is a retired high-ranking officer of a former army in the region, and the immediate executor would be a person from Montenegro.
"The persons who gave the information are connected to the services of a country in the region. Considering the way it was said that it was allegedly planned, I am not sure about the credibility of the data, but everything should be checked," said the interlocutor familiar with the information.
When asked who and what motive could be behind the assassination of Milatović, that source said that he did not know, except for "destabilization of the country".
In the answers to "Vijesti" about the possible threat of Milatović, the UP added that they and the ANB "previously... had information about possible threats to other protected persons, which after checks turned out to be incorrect".
Former President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic, informed the competent state institutions in the first half of July of this year that he had received information that an assassination attempt was being prepared against him.
Đukanović's office told "Vijesta" at the time that the former head of state had received the mentioned information from certain international officials from the intelligence community, and informed the authorities about it.
A source close to Đukanović told the newspaper at the time that a high-ranking foreign military official from Kosovo had informed him that an organized criminal group from a neighboring country was allegedly planning to carry out an assassination.
The Police Directorate (UP) claimed that it was not aware of this information, and that neither Đukanović, nor international officials from the intelligence community, nor ANB informed them about it.
On the afternoon of July 13, the agency informed UP that they had received operational information that the former head of state and the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) was allegedly being assassinated, and they allegedly received this information three days before they met their colleagues in the police.
A "Vijesti" source from the secret service confirmed at the time that ANB checked and investigated this operational information with partner services, and that due to international checks, they did not immediately notify UP that Đukanović's safety might be threatened.
Đukanović was immediately given increased police protection, which was reduced this summer - the police did not guard the former president's apartment during the day.
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Due to the actions of the security sector in this case, the Committee for Security and Defense of the Assembly reacted, which heard the police director on July 29. Zoran Brđanin and the head of the ANB Boris Milić. At the end of the hearing, Brđanin announced that "the police and the Agency did not make any institutional mistakes...".
However, some opposition MPs claimed otherwise.
"There are still noises in the communication between ANB and the police. "They do not have information about the danger of Đukanović in this case, they are conducting checks, but they are not informed that there is something controversial", said the deputy of the Social Democrats at the time. Nikola Zirojevic.
In the joint statement of UP and ANB from August 1, it was stated that "data obtained within the framework of international cooperation of ANB indicate that foreign intelligence services, i.e. the intelligence community, are not the source of information that an assassination is being prepared in relation to the former president of the state." .
"Not even the Police Directorate within the framework of international operational police cooperation received the mentioned information, that is, such information was not submitted to the Police Directorate within the framework of international operational police cooperation. In this regard, the information that the former president of Montenegro is being threatened is not true", announced UP and ANB.
In the past three decades, Đukanović was the leader of the DPS, multiple prime ministers and twice the president of the state. At the end of September, in the Special State Prosecutor's Office, as a witness, he answered the prosecutor's questions about his knowledge that an assassination was allegedly being prepared against him.
UP: We are protecting Milatović with measures that are already at a significant level
When asked by "Vijesti" what has been done if the allegations about Milatović being in danger are true and whether his protection has been increased, the Police Directorate reiterated that the authenticity and validity of the information is being checked.
"The information about the threat has not yet been confirmed. In the meantime, direct protection measures are being taken in relation to President Milatović, which have been at a significant level before, and all with the aim of preserving his safety as a protected person".
However, the office of the President of Montenegro recently told "Dan" that the government has been ignoring the request to provide a safe vehicle for the transportation of the head of state and his family, which "indicates the continuity of ill-intentioned and irresponsible, but also illegal behavior towards this institution, which this time it also endangers the security of the president".
"The President of the State uses an "Audi A8" vehicle from 2015, which has worn tires, which is why it is not used for movement outside Podgorica and on the open road, as it would pose a risk in traffic", "Dan" reported answers from office of the president, which claims that the second car that was assigned to him is not usable due to inadequate tires, and that "for this year no funds have been approved for their replacement, in order to put the vehicle into operation".
Members of the police protect protected persons, and the Police Directorate determines the level of that protection based on the ANB's assessment.
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