The President of the Citizens' Movement URA, Dritan Abazović, said that the Government's Proposal for the Law on confiscation of property benefits is not an "anti-mafia" law, but an extremely inappropriate "mafia law", which should be "opposed with all forces".
"People have proposed a 'mafia law' and anyone who illegally acquired property in Montenegro can be free to be at peace with such government proposals. These are cosmetic changes to the DPS law from 2015, which is already in force and which had no effect when it's a question of confiscation of property," Abazović said at a press conference in the Assembly.
"In the period from 2015 to the end of 2021, this law, which is in force, allowed only six decisions on confiscation of property. Do you know what was confiscated? Money in the amount of 630 euros, a "Ford Galaxy" vehicle, three wrist watches, three cuffs for a shirt, a gold pendant and a gold chain," said Abazović.
He says that Justice Minister Andrej Milović, with the support of Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, proposed "an almost identical law, in which the main item remains - that a final criminal conviction is required in order to initiate the confiscation of property."
"This means that the stolen property will never be found," he pointed out.
"The second thing they introduced as an alleged novelty, they also took a step back. They said that the prosecution can initiate this procedure at the latest - it was stipulated by the law that we gave no later than two years from that - they reduced the deadline to six months. Which means that, if the prosecution does not take any action within six months of the final verdict, the property of these people can never be confiscated again," said Abazović.
He called on the representatives of the parliamentary majority to oppose this.
"If they do not oppose, we will have a situation where people who have acquired illegal property can be comfortable. Are they doing this intentionally or unintentionally, in my opinion - intentionally," claims Abazović.
He accused the Government and the Ministry of Justice of taking care of the interests of criminal structures, not the interests of citizens.
"I don't think this is accidental, I think that Spajić, Milović and a couple of other ministers are doing a task for some people from the underground and that such a bill should have presented a counterweight to what was the proposal of the 43rd Government, now also the GP of URA, to property is confiscated in civil proceedings, faster, and that there is no waiting for a final verdict for criminal offenses that do not or need not have anything to do with the acquisition of property," Abazović added.
He says that it is good that a financial investigation was included in the draft law.
"But a financial investigation cannot be effective if we have a final judgment in force. This means that anything that would be a financial report from the police or the prosecutor's office could not be effective, because the final decision of the court would be awaited. But, in general, we commend it for deigning to rewrite four articles letter for letter," said the leader of GP URA.
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