Politics
Montenegro: PM's testimony on smuggling and mafia links 'shameful' say opposition leaders
Podgorica, 31 March (AKI) - The testimony by Montenegro's prime minister Milo Djukanovic (photo) on cigarette smuggling before Italian prosecutors in the southern Italian city of Bari was a shame for the country, opposition leaders said on Monday.
Djukanovic, who has been considered the absolute political leader of Montenegro for the past eighteen years, surprisingly appeared before Bari prosecutors last Friday, answering their questions for more than six hours.
He was accompanied by his lawyer and an interpreter. The 45-year-old Djukanovic later told Montenegro television he didn’t want to announce his visit to Bari in advance because he wanted to avoid a “media spectacle”.
Djukanovic is being investigated for a multimillion-dollar cigarette smuggling operation to Italy and for offering free access and shelter to Italian mafia members in Montenegro ports between 1994 and 2002.
He has repeatedly denied the charges and the rumours that he was being investigated.
Djukanovic withdrew from the post of prime minister after leading the country to independence from Serbia in 2006, but returned to power in February this year.
Opposition leaders have said he returned to power to get diplomatic immunity in the face of Italian accusations.
“Djukanovic went to Bari only after he acquired immunity provided by the post of prime minister,” said Matija Nikolic, a spokesman for the Serbian Democratic Party.
Djukanovic thus forced the prosecutors to “shelve his case”, Nikolic said. He described Djukanovic’s role in the smuggling scheme as a “shame on Montenegro which won’t be washed away for a long time”.
“I just wanted to finally lift the hypothec which was hovering over Montenegro and myself,” Djukanovic said.
He blamed the accusations on the media in Serbia and Montenegro and “political plays” in Italy.
Djucanovic said the Bari investigation has shown that there had been “some deformities”, but he claimed “the state of Montenegro and I as prime minister must be exempt from it”.
Nebojsa Medojevic, the leader of the main opposition party, the Movement for Changes, said Djukanovic had shamed Montenegro by refusing to answer all of the 80 questions put by Bari prosecutors, invoking diplomatic immunity.
“It’s not statesmanlike behavior and has nothing to do with Montenegrin tradition,” Medojevic said.
Djukanovic has once again shown that he was “ready to sacrifice the interests of the state and citizens to protect himself”, Medojevic concluded.
Djukanovic, who has been considered the absolute political leader of Montenegro for the past eighteen years, surprisingly appeared before Bari prosecutors last Friday, answering their questions for more than six hours.
He was accompanied by his lawyer and an interpreter. The 45-year-old Djukanovic later told Montenegro television he didn’t want to announce his visit to Bari in advance because he wanted to avoid a “media spectacle”.
Djukanovic is being investigated for a multimillion-dollar cigarette smuggling operation to Italy and for offering free access and shelter to Italian mafia members in Montenegro ports between 1994 and 2002.
He has repeatedly denied the charges and the rumours that he was being investigated.
Djukanovic withdrew from the post of prime minister after leading the country to independence from Serbia in 2006, but returned to power in February this year.
Opposition leaders have said he returned to power to get diplomatic immunity in the face of Italian accusations.
“Djukanovic went to Bari only after he acquired immunity provided by the post of prime minister,” said Matija Nikolic, a spokesman for the Serbian Democratic Party.
Djukanovic thus forced the prosecutors to “shelve his case”, Nikolic said. He described Djukanovic’s role in the smuggling scheme as a “shame on Montenegro which won’t be washed away for a long time”.
“I just wanted to finally lift the hypothec which was hovering over Montenegro and myself,” Djukanovic said.
He blamed the accusations on the media in Serbia and Montenegro and “political plays” in Italy.
Djucanovic said the Bari investigation has shown that there had been “some deformities”, but he claimed “the state of Montenegro and I as prime minister must be exempt from it”.
Nebojsa Medojevic, the leader of the main opposition party, the Movement for Changes, said Djukanovic had shamed Montenegro by refusing to answer all of the 80 questions put by Bari prosecutors, invoking diplomatic immunity.
“It’s not statesmanlike behavior and has nothing to do with Montenegrin tradition,” Medojevic said.
Djukanovic has once again shown that he was “ready to sacrifice the interests of the state and citizens to protect himself”, Medojevic concluded.
Bookmark whit:
