In October last year, representatives of several foreign companies that used the e-commerce services of the former Atlas Banka approached Television Vijesti regarding a case they have been unable to resolve since 2018. This was after the Special Prosecutor's Office opened a case against the bank's owner, Duško Knežević, on suspicion of money laundering. Their money was frozen and their operations were blocked, and in the meantime, they claim, they discovered...
"That the entire case against our companies is based on a single piece of evidence, and that so-called evidence was actually an expert report done eight years ago, which we now understand produced false tax assessments against our companies. If the case is based on that, it is an illegal investigation," Michael Nuril, an authorized representative of the 34 blocked companies, told TV Vijesti.
Due to the investigation into the E-commerce case initiated by the then Chief Special Prosecutor Milivoje Katnić, over 60 million euros were blocked from companies, according to official figures, and around 64 million according to their own data. Although they requested to be allowed to pay taxes from which Montenegro would earn 25 million euros, only two companies were given that opportunity.
Others cannot obtain bank statements and access accounts.
"Why? What is the Special Prosecutor's Office trying to hide? We know that money is missing and that the numbers don't add up. $4,4 million disappeared during the freezing of money in the bank. And after our money was frozen, after the two companies paid their taxes, their money was stolen - $4 million," says Nuril.
He emphasizes that the Government of Montenegro supports them in their efforts, but that they are clear that the prosecution is independent in its work.
"Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Special Prosecutor's Office, whose then head is now himself under investigation. I am really not accusing anyone. We demand that the conduct of the SDT in this case be investigated immediately," adds the representative of foreign companies.
That's why they wrote a letter to the Supreme Prosecutor, Milorad Marković.
"We inform you that the Supreme State Prosecutor is taking action to verify the allegations in the letter sent by Michael Nuril," the Supreme State Prosecutor's Office told TV Vijesti.
"I would expect rigorous oversight of the Special Prosecutor's Office's actions in this case from 2018. I think that's what we deserve," Nuril said.
They deserve, Nuril claims, that the Basic Prosecutor's Office (ODT) in Podgorica is acting on the criminal complaint, which they filed against two people in November 2022, for alleged forgery of documents in this case.
"We would like to inform you that investigations are ongoing in both of the above cases. The acting state prosecutors are taking all measures and actions provided for by law," the ODT announced.
A representative of the blocked companies says that their patience is running out and that they will not wait much longer for the actions to be completed. If nothing is done, they will seek justice in international courts, which could cost us hundreds of millions of euros.
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