The Basic State Prosecutor's Office of Pljeval is investigating whether the executive director of the Non-Governmental Association Nature Lovers, Miljko Bulajic, under the guise of humanitarian activities, benefited the private company Durmitor Base Camp.
"In the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Pljevlja, a case was formed regarding the case to which your questions refer. During the investigative procedure, all legally prescribed measures and actions necessary for making a decision will be taken", replied the News from ODT Pljevlja.
The case was formed after it was disclosed that one military and one police helicopter each transferred equipment to a private person who illegally set up a glamorous base camp for mountaineers in the "Durmitor" National Park, but also after the public company that manages the protected areas stated that the private the company "Durmitor Base Camp" violated the laws and violated the principles of protection and ecological principles and the preservation of all values in that area, which is under the protection of the UNESCO office.
At the same time as the police and prosecutor's investigation, the Minister of Defense Dragan Krapović he asked the authorities to investigate whether the executive director of that company could be contacted Dejan Lazarevic with the Chief of the General Staff of the Army of Montenegro, Brigadier General Zoran Lazarevic.
General Lazarevic, however, does not dispute that Dejan Lazarevic is his nephew, but claims that he received an inquiry from Minister Krapovic's office as to whether they could support the request of the NGO, and that they from the General Staff, "as the procedures dictate, after collecting information about what cargo and which quantity is in question, answered that we can support the request."
DON'T MISS IT
He also said that it is not his responsibility, but the responsibility of the ministry, to check possible disputed issues.
They are looking for a relationship between uncle and nephew
The government department headed by Krapović claims that the minister, after the questions sent to him by Vijesti, "addressed document no. 14-802/24-12885 to the General Staff of the Croatian Civil War".
"Kojim requested that all the activities of the Army of Montenegro to support the implementation of the winter camp on Durmitor for the needs of the NGO 'Ljubitelji prirode' from Nikšić be immediately suspended, and he requested that detailed information on the place, dates and time of the regular flights of the VVCG helicopter unit, the type and amount of transported material and personnel, copies of all planned flights for December 2024, information on whether the GŠ during the proposal to met the request, requested an opinion from the competent organizational units in the General Staff, which are obliged to check the validity and justification of the request, as well as whether the VCG had information and whether it participated, and if so, in what way and during what period, in supporting the company Durmitor Base DOO", said the Ministry of Defense.
They add that the minister asked the competent organizational units of the Ministry of Defense to additionally examine and collect all the necessary data and information related to that non-governmental organization, the company Durmitor Base Camp:
"As well as whether it is possible to connect the executive director of Durmitor Base DOO Dejan Lazarevic with the head of the GŠ VCG Brigadier General Zoran Lazarevic".
"Given that certain speculations have appeared, the Ministry of Defense has taken all necessary measures to establish all relevant facts in relation to the above, and will inform the public in a timely manner about further action on this issue," said the Ministry of Defense.
The minister should have checked
Lazarevic told Vijest that he knew that his nephew was in some non-governmental organization, which intends to create an expedition camp on Durmitor, but that he did not know "what position he holds in the NGO he is in, nor did I know in which NGO he is in general ".
"So, I knew that he is part of the team that is preparing to install a camp on Durmitor, which should be a tourist offer of Žabljak for interested tourists in the field of organization of training in touring skiing, education in the field of search and rescue in avalanches, and providing support and refuge to skiing fans in that area, given that there is no mountain lodge nearby, etc. By inspecting the documents and correspondence, it can be easily established that the letter or request from 'Nature Lovers MNE' for help in transporting part of the material was sent to the Minister of Defense. We received a question from his cabinet: can we support such a request of an NGO? "We from the General Staff, as required by the procedures, after collecting information about the cargo and the quantity involved, replied that we can support what was requested," Lazarevic said.
He pointed out that in the communication with the contact person from "Nature Lovers MNE" we understood that they transferred most of the equipment using horses and in other ways, and that it was not possible to transfer the remaining part due to snow and ice:
"For this reason, they needed support using a transport helicopter. In the General Staff, we do not have the obligation or the possibility to examine other details, except to answer, at the request of the minister's cabinet, whether we have the capacity and ability to provide the requested service, which we did. Other details and possible disputed issues of any kind, which should have been checked before the minister gave his consent, are not my competence, nor did we deal with it at the General Staff".
Brigadier General Zoran Lazarevic explained that upon receiving the consent of the Minister of Defense, as in all other countless similar actions in support of NGOs and other entities, he issued a written order:
"And one helicopter flight was carried out without any problems. These types of flights are conducive to the practical training of transport helicopter pilots, and by realizing them we are doing something mutually beneficial. Honestly, I have to admit to you that I don't see why you shouldn't support the action of this NGO, as we have supported the actions of hundreds of others, current and all previous years, just because its member is my brother's son (if that is the purpose of the question). However, regardless of who it is, all institutions in Montenegro have my unreserved and full support for taking sanctions if any legal regulations are not respected in the process of creating the camp".
Lazerević points out that it is easy to verify that Dejan Lazarević is a young man who tied his life and future to Durmitor, from which many leave irreversibly; he is an environmentalist and the initiator of numerous environmental initiatives in the area of Durmitor; one of the most active members of the society that keeps Komarnica; etc.
"And all that should mean something".
Promotion of the north and considerable financial resources
In the request sent to the ministries by the director of the NGO Nature Lovers, which is signed by Bulajić, it is written that starting this winter season, they decided to set up a winter camp in Lokvice on Durmitor, which would consist of a series of tents for sleeping and staying.
"The winter camp would serve as a meeting place for mountaineers, ski touring and adventurers for the purpose of education and organizing various trainings related to winter mountaineering, ski touring and the like. We especially emphasize that it would also serve as a potential shelter for mountaineers and adventurers in case of danger, because for now there is no adequate mountain infrastructure of that type in the massif of Durmitor, which greatly contributes to the safety of all visitors. The winter camp will also be used as a starting base when conducting rescue operations because of its position, but also because some members of the organization are members of the Mountain Rescue Service of Montenegro".
Although they do not mention in a single word that it will be used for commercial purposes, which can be found on the website of the Durmitor Base Camp company, they explained that it is "a small financial investment aimed at promoting the tourist potential of the north of Montenegro, as a novelty in offered by Žabljak".
See more:
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
