The Committee for Security and Defense should request the submission of a report on the application of secret surveillance measures (MTN), so that MPs can familiarize themselves with the data and prepare for the planned visit to the National Security Agency (ANB), said the Institute of Alternatives (IA).
The IA said that the announced visit to the ANB is a positive step in the direction of using the mechanisms that are available and within the competence of the Committee for Security and Defense in the part of control over the application of MTN.
However, in that non-governmental organization (NGO), they believe that the visit to ANB should be accompanied by the submission of a report on the application of MTN.
"According to the Law on Parliamentary Oversight in the Field of Security and Defense, the competence of the Committee is to consider reports on the application of MTN from bodies and institutions - ANB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs," the statement says.
As stated by the IA, this legal obligation is repeated year after year in the work plans of the Board, but the reports have not been considered.
The NGO added that it was regularly pointed out through their proposals for the Committee's annual work, and the last time directly during a meeting with the President of the Security and Defense Committee, Miodrag Laković, in March of this year.
"We expect that the chairman of the Board agreed with the director of ANB the conditions of entry and stay in the premises of ANB, as well as other details of the visit, which are acceptable to all members of the Board, in order to avoid the situation from 2010", it is stated. in the announcement.
The IA said that it should be borne in mind that the scope of that visit will most likely remain limited.
"Board members will gain insight into the documentation accompanying each legally approved case. "No one who commits abuses gives written evidence of abuses to those who control him," the statement said.
The IA stated that it is certain that most of the members of the Board do not have special experience and knowledge, because they did not have special training related to that issue.
"We believe that the Committee should request the submission of the report, so that the MPs can familiarize themselves with the data at least before the visit and prepare questions for the planned visit in advance," the statement says.
It is stated that this visit should enable the deputies to see, not only the statistics, but also the measures and activities undertaken to prevent possible abuses.
The IA said that the visit to ANB, as well as the report on the application of MTN, can be used by MPs to be informed about which procedures and standards, internal control and supervision mechanisms have been set up and/or improved since 2020, in order to prevent abuses in in connection with which court proceedings are being conducted against the former director and employee of the Agency.
The MPs, as they said, can be informed about the allegations of leakage of secret data and the epilogue of disciplinary proceedings against ANB officials, about the possibilities and limitations of the Agency's inspector general in controlling the application of MTN and other abuses and the experience of MTN approval by the President of the Supreme Court.
The IA stated that the MPs can use the visit to the ANB to inform themselves about the number of findings from the application of the MTN, which have been submitted to the police and/or the prosecution, which indicate the existence of grounds for suspicion that a criminal offense is being prepared, organized or committed for which is prosecuted ex officio.
"As well as what special protection measures and integrity checks are applied in relation to ANB officials who are familiar with the content obtained through the use of MTN", says the announcement.
It is stated that the visit, as a control mechanism, should serve the Board to identify problems and concretely act in relation to them.
"The Board, as a legislator, has the responsibility to improve the legal framework, as well as the obligation to influence the improvement of the practice of the application of MTN", said the IA.
They said that they sent the Board the previous research findings regarding MTN, as a preparation for the planned visit, because they indicate other important issues and controversies in the supervision of the use of MTN in the security services.
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