MIodrag Laković, the chairman of the Security and Defense Committee, informed the deputies, members of this Committee, that a visit to the National Security Agency (ANB) was scheduled for December 16 in order to "immediate insight into the functioning of the security system in certain areas, as well as continuous monitoring of the implementation of measures secret surveillance by authorities and institutions that temporarily limit the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution".
Although, as Vijesti reported yesterday, he stated that the preparations for the parliamentary visit were "in progress", the MPs received an express notification that in order to implement the relevant activities in a timely manner, in accordance with the work plan established by the Committee for 2024, a visit to the Agency for national security.
According to the Law on Parliamentary Oversight in the Field of Security and Defense, which stipulates that parliamentary oversight is carried out regularly according to the annual plan adopted by the Committee and extraordinary if necessary, the Committee for Security and Defense at the sixth session of the Committee, held on January 26, 2024, passed Parliamentary oversight plan for 2024, in which, among other things, he predicted a visit to authorities and institutions in the field of security and defense for direct insight into the functioning of the security system in individual areas, as well as continuous monitoring of implementation measures of secret surveillance by authorities and institutions from Article 3 paragraph 1 of the Law, which temporarily limit the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.
The first visit of parliamentarians to ANB, organized in March 2010, was followed by a kind of scandal. Opposition MPs, members of the Security Committee, did not want to leave their mobile phones on the application form to the Agency and refused to enter the building, unlike the government representatives.
"It is about an act that we experienced as an act of humiliating the Assembly, the deputies, something that was supposed to demonstrate that the National Security Agency has power over the assembly as well," said the SNP deputy on that occasion. Predrag Bulatović.
On the other hand, the representative of the Social Democratic Party Rasko Konjević informed the journalists that the wiretapping and secret monitoring of postal shipments was done in accordance with the law:
"We also reviewed the legality of that control and made sure that the legal procedure implemented in 2008 and 2009 was in accordance with the law on ANB and the procedures were followed," Konjević said..
The then director of the National Security Agency was pleased with the visit Dusko Markovic.
"Today we showed as an institution that we have built standards, defined procedures and that we adhere to both standards and procedures in every segment," Marković pointed out.
As it was announced at the time, the MPs looked at three files in a random sample.
The Security and Defense Committee, by the way, considers the ANB report every year at a special session.
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