Katnić: I am ready to resign

At the extended session of the Supreme State Prosecutor's Office, where the announced changes to the Law on the State Prosecutor's Office and the Law on the Special State Prosecutor's Office were discussed, discussing that topic, among other things, I stated that I was ready to resign, in case the submitters of the initiative for the adoption of these of the law to give up on it, and to undertake not to submit it until the end of the mandate of this parliamentary convocation, Milivoje Katnić, the chief special prosecutor, said today, the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) announced.

"On February 10, 2021, I had an official conversation with the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Zdravko Krivokapić, who, on that occasion, informed me that, in the event of my resignation, the Democrats and URE deputies would abandon the proposal to amend the Law on the State Prosecutor's Office and the Law on the Special State Prosecutor's Office," Katnić pointed out.

He added that there is no constitutional basis for changing these laws, because laws are changed when necessary, and due to the changed circumstances that these laws regulate, they should be changed as a whole or in their greater part.

"The goal of these changes is discrimination, first of all of the chief special prosecutor, and then of special prosecutors. These laws are not aimed at improving the conditions and creating organizational and other assumptions for the performance of prosecutorial functions, but dealing with "unfit" prosecutors, contrary to the constitutional and legal and general civilizational achievements, and for the direct interference of political structures and influence on decision-making and the work of the prosecutor's organization," said Katnić.

According to him, the existing laws have passed all the procedures and are harmonized with the best European standards, and their solutions are among the best legal solutions in Europe today.

"But, regardless of everything mentioned above, I am ready to resign from the position of chief special prosecutor, which includes not accepting the position of special prosecutor in the prosecution, which I have the right to by law in the event of termination of office, as well as not applying for a competition or similar for another position in state bodies, on the condition that the president of the Democrats, Mr. Bečić, and the president of the URE, Mr. Abazović, sign a written statement and publicly undertake that they will not, during the mandate of this Assembly, either ask for, or upon anyone else's request, their parliamentary clubs to put in the parliamentary procedure, the aforementioned laws, as well as to undertake not to change the personnel composition of the Prosecutor's Council until the end of the mandate, nor to change the personnel composition and organization of the Special Police Department, nor the organization and composition of the Sector for the fight against organized crime," said Katnić .

He told the citizens of Montenegro that he is doing this in order to achieve, according to his unreserved belief, the goal for which, as he claims, he has been fighting all these years.

"It is for the best state bodies and individuals in them to stay on the line of fighting against organized crime and corruption, and for justice to knock on everyone's door," concluded Katnić.