Democratic Montenegro believes that there is a reason for the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) to initiate proceedings against the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and responsible persons within that party, i.e. to suspect that the DPS accepted contributions from prohibited sources.
Democrat MPs Anđela Vojinović and Momčilo Leković sent an open letter to the prosecutor's office.
"We are addressing you regarding very serious information that was recently made public, which indicates potentially illegal actions related to the financing of political entities and possible criminal acts in connection with it. Namely, as we believe you are aware, twenty days ago, the Network for Affirmation of the Non-Governmental Sector (MANS) published a research story about the operations of the company Bemax Caribbean, whose director was until recently Aleksandar Mijajlovic among the published documents, there is also an act sent by Mijajlović to the Vice-President of the Government of Saint Lucia, in which, among other things, he acknowledged the illegal financing of political parties in Montenegro," he wrote in an address to the SDT, as announced by the Democrats.
They remind that Mijajlovic has already been charged with serious crimes, including cigarette smuggling, "and that his activities are connected to an organized criminal group."
"The public address of the Deputy Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, who confirmed allegations of illegal financing of an opposition party, apparently DPS, is of particular concern. In the disputed act, Mijajlović admitted ownership of companies and media in Montenegro, and presented himself as a donor and supporter of the opposition party that lost in the last parliamentary elections. Also, in the same act, he stated that after his arrest he transferred ownership in various businesses to other investors".
As they say, the Bemaks company "has been associated" with DPS for many years, "both through financial and political support".
"This connection is most often mentioned in the context of construction works and large infrastructure projects in Montenegro, where the Bemax company appears as the main contractor or subcontractor of works contracted by state institutions and public companies during the period when the DPS was in power. It was often pointed out that the company had a privileged position when receiving state tenders, which raised suspicions about its connection with political structures. Information appeared in the public more than once that Bemax, through its directors and related persons, was one of the main financiers of DPS political campaigns. a".
That information, write Vojinović and Leković, has not been thoroughly investigated or processed, "despite the well-founded suspicions expressed by non-governmental organizations, journalists and opposition parties."
"Recent allegations about the participation of Aleksandar Mijajlović, the former director of Bemax, in illegal activities further confirm suspicions that the company is clearly not only a business entity, but also a channel for activities involving suspicious financial transactions and potential money laundering. The information published by MANS that that Bemax Caribbean used investments in Saint Lucia to secure citizenships and enable the financing of DPS only confirms the suspicions of a long-standing connection. And now, Aleksandar Mijajlović, the former director of Bemax, has personally confirmed that he owned the media and used it for political support for this party. Evidence or suspicions that Bemax was part of a wider corruption mechanism appeared several times. in which funds from state projects went to party coffers. Cases such as unrealistically high prices of infrastructure projects were often mentioned in the context of the potential 'thanking' of the company Bemax DPS for the privileged status," the letter to SDT says.
However, as they said, despite numerous allegations, the investigations conducted against Bemax and related persons "were generally slow and ineffective, which further indicates the possible political influence of DPS on judicial institutions".
"This history points to a deep-rooted connection between Bemax and DPS, the traces of which are still visible, especially now that additional information is emerging about the international activities of this company and its former director. We believe that these allegations require an urgent and thorough investigation in order to it was determined whether this connection was used for illegal activities, including the financing of political entities from prohibited sources. Considering all this information, we reasonably suspect that there has been a violation of the Law on the Financing of Political Entities and Election Campaigns, as well as the commission of a criminal offense under Article 193v of the Criminal Code - Acceptance of contributions from prohibited sources. We believe that there are sufficient grounds for the Special State Prosecutor's Office to initiate appropriate proceedings against the DPS and responsible persons within that party," said Vojinović and Leković.
They asked the SDT, "bearing in mind that you really act with dedication and responsibility in all cases", whether they have launched an investigation regarding these findings and if so, at what stage is that procedure.
"Due to the seriousness of these allegations, it is of crucial importance that the Special State Prosecutor's Office acts transparently and efficiently on this issue, in order to ensure the full application of the law and the protection of the public interest," the letter reads.
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