(published in “Ekspres politika”, on Wednesday, 30th July 1997.)

Jovanovic was the first one who had spoken in public about the numerous examples of criminal and smuggling which were sponsored by the Vujanovic’s police and Djukanovic’s government.
The employees of the Ministry of the Interior Affairs were escorting the convoys of tugs which carriage no one could control.
Suffered for opening the “affair ASI”

Numerous are those who acclaim that the recent political situation in Montenegro reminds on the period in 1948.
People are scared, blackmails are the part of everyday life, as well as the threats even threats of murdering children of those who think differently from the government which leader is Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic. These things are whispered. The telephones are eavesdropped, and the offices of some organizations as well as the correspondent offices of the Belgrade’s newspapers are tracked by the police’s cameras which are recording methodically all those who enter and get out.
In the fear of the consequences, the most have decided to be silent – for now.
Among those who in this period of fight between honour and dishonour had the strength and courage to come in public with the truth, was Dusko Jovanovic, ex director of the Department of the Public Revenue and Financial Police. He spoke openly not only about the numerous malversations, smuggling and the examples of criminal, he also proved it with evidences. When a man sees these evidences, he only can be petrified, realizing incredible dimensions of the criminalization of the society and the state in Montenegro.

FIRST THE BOMB, THAN…

Milo Djukanovic, the prime minister, has removed the director of the Department of Public Revenue for his unprofessional work.
Jovanovic is guilty because he refused to play in the Milo’s orchestra and to sing in his chore of ministers.
Jovanovic’s removing as well as his secretary’s and assistant’s removing was performed, after Momir Bulatovic the president of the Republic of Montenegro and president of DPS had had a press conference, where he had produced evidences about illegal business of already famous private company “ASI” from Podgorica.
These evidences president Bulatovic got from the director of Department of Public Revenue.
It was clear to all that Jovanovic could expect the professional elimination.
His physical elimination was not successful. However, on the first day of 1st May holiday; an explosive device was put under the car which was used only by the director of the Department of Public Revenue. The dynamite was discovered by accident on time. The police arrived an hour and a half after they had received the call, and that was all they did. No one has known until today who were the actuators of this crime which didn’t finished tragically only thanks to happy occasions.
What is hidden behind this, we can only presume.
- I am accused for extremely bad working results of the Department and for the polarization of its work, because - as they say - thanks to the engaging of the director, the Department has become a place which contributes to the radicalization of the political situation in Montenegro. It didn’t worth the fact that I carried out the data where anyone could see that the Department had worked better than ever. I asked them to change the definition “unprofessional work of the Department” into “unprofessional work of the director” for the sake of 500 employees who have honourably worked their jobs for years under difficult circumstances, even the threats – says Dusko Jovanovic.
The removing of Jovanovic and his two close cooperatives was performed without analyzing the work of the state institutions which leaders they were. The man who replaced Jovanovic was Predrag Markovic who was removed from the position of the director of the Department of Public Revenue just a year ago. The cases of the elimination of those who disobey, shows clearly the real situation of the Montenegrin authorities.

The police are clearing roads for smuggling

- From the half of the last year I have begun, according to my obligations, to inform the authorities about the cases of not respecting the law and procedures. I have sent the documentation and records which were evidence that smuggling and criminal were very powerful, to the addresses of the first men in Government, police and to President. – Jovanovic testifies showing us the papers. – No one, except the president Momir Bulatovic, paid attention to my reports that the police were these who were obstructing our work, hindering us to make controls which were according to the Law. I have begun with the evidence regarding the convoys of trucks, tugs and other vehicles passing by our control station in Bioce near Podgorica. The financial police have been obstructed in controlling the documentation of these convoys by the police who have escorted them. They simply have gone to the north without even stopping.
In January this year, in Montenegro happened the fall of excise goods and taxes. Dusko Jovanovic was asking for a meeting with the three Deputy Prime Ministers in charged for three different resources in purpose to combat illegal trade and grey market. He insisted that on that meeting, the participants should be the representatives of the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Interior Affairs, the Department of Public Revenue, the Custom Administration and Yugoslav Army.
- In my proposal I explained my request and I warned on the consequences if we don’t react right away. The meeting was held, everyone came, the operative measures that I recommended were accepted, but they were never realized – Jovanovic testifies. - That pattern has become the rule. When the generator of the grey trade was struck, the work of the Department of Public Revenue should be blocked.
- That this is the truth we could see through the documents in cases from Podgorica, Bar, Tuzi… The risk for the employees in Financial Police has become greater. The regular police whose obligation is to help them, have obstructed them, and even have pulled out the weapons on their colleagues.
- On the 20th December 1996. I reported you according to the act no. 03- 11027- 1- 96 the information about the employee of the Ministry of Interior Affairs who rejected to assist during overtaking offices in Tuzi by the Financial Police, so I considered this problem solved. However, on the 28th March 1997. we were withheld in a very rough way of the assistance of the Ministry of Interior Affairs, during control of warehouses near Tuska Market in Zabjelo (Podgorica). I report you official record. On the 8th Aprile 1997. during the attempt to control the warehouse DD “Velepromet” in Bar, in which, we came to know, were large quantities of coffee, the assistance of Ministry of Interior Affairs was withdrawn, although the security of the warehouse pulled out their weapons. I report you the complete documentation. I consider, Minister, that these cases are very harmful for the authorities whose job is to regulate law order, that means Ministry of Interior Affairs for the Law and Department of Public Revenue for economic order… Dusko Jovanovic wrote, among other, to Filip Vujanovic, Minister of the Montenegrin Police, on the 11th April this year.

… AND CARAVANS ARE PASSING BY

Of course nothing has been done, on the contrary; the work of the Financial Police has been obstructed more severely.
But Jovanovic hasn’t been stopped. He tried, with the assistance of all employees in the Department to do his job as good as possible. Again, on the 12th June this year he sent official letter to the Minister of Police. “On the 29th April 1997. the inspectors of the Financial Police tried to make control of material-financial business of the company “ASI” D. O. O. and “EKO D” Montenegro D. O. O. – Podgorica, but, however, as you know the inspectors of the Ministry of Police took all the documentation about the business of these two companies…” claimed Jovanovic explaining that the police was the one who stopped them doing the job properly.
The director of the Department of Public Revenue realized that he had touched the forbidden zone. He was informed directly that his law authority was limited by the police encouraged by the Government. Of course the Government has never made the written act about that.
- My professional elimination was sure. It was just a question of time when they would implement it and what the reason would be – Jovanovic points out – they told me to remain silent in the name of “higher interests”. I wasn’t and I will never agree with that. I completed Law studies and I started my career as a financial inspector. I know very well all financial and a goods flows in Montenegro, and I thought and I still think that my duty is to respect the law.
Jovanovic could live comfortably today because obedience is well paid.
However, he rather has lost his job, and has remained honest.
He possesses all the documentation about the discredited company “ASI” which first man, as it is said in Montenegro, is formally Rajko Bobot, while behind all of this is Vukasin Maras, the chief of the National Security. On the “ASI’s” payroll there was Lidija Djukanovic, the Prime Minister’s wife. “ASI” represents the centre of the illegal business, and there are numerous customers and private companies in around. A model of this company’s work was to buy some tropical fruit and then sell that on the markets in Montenegro and Serbia or in retail trade and then you could come to “ASI” and got the statement that it had bought all that fruit for money. In that case the seller is freed from the sales tax of 28 percent.

FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF LAWS

It would not be surprising that the new ruling team of the Department of Public Revenue come with the statement that the situation in the “ASI” is actually excellent. All this, of course, is possible on the grounds of the legal proceedings.
- It isn’t possible, although I personally doubt that they will find the inspectors in the Direction who will put their signature on that statement. I know that they all are honorable men and real professionals. However, I believe that the police together with the Government will find a way to hush up the affair “ASI” - Dusko Jovanovic claims.
He also points out that the control of the business in ASI has been done by the most experienced financial inspectors in Montenegro, although it has been suggested to the Direction to send the certain inspectors, by their names, who would have done do the job according to their wishes.
The mentioned cases are only a part of the criminal mosaic which was solved by Dusko Jovanovic and the Montenegrin Financial police.
Jovanovic declares that no one offered him money, but indirectly, he was said to remain silent and let other people do their jobs.
He didn’t accept it.
Dusko Jovanovic is a man who cannot be bought.
On the 11th day of this month at the address of the Direction arrived the letter from the president of the Republic of Montenegro, Momir Bulatovic.
“I want to thank you and to praise you, for the enormous personal contribution, as well as the contribution of the institution which leader you were until recently. Your professional relationship and engagement, together with the high moral characteristic, which were seen through your responsibility during this period in the very irregular ambient; this can serve for honour to you personally, and to all other state officials this can be an example how to behave towards something they are responsible for.”
“Regardless to the recent decision of the Government, which is as much as I know completely unfounded, aside the repeated thankfulness I want to express a hope that you will soon have an opportunity to contribute further to Montenegro as a state established on the government of Laws”, the president of Montenegro has written.
Jovanovic points out that this recognition is referred to the financial inspectors who were doing their job without a compromise.
The ex director of the Department has proved himself to be a man who has courage to stop the mafia. And that was not all; he spoke in public when he was sure that the heads of the institutions, responsible to maintain law order, would not support him. On the contrary, the bomb under his car was not an accident, neither that was his removing.
The prime minister of Montenegro as well as his soldiers headed by the chief of the police has definitely shown their faces.

FINANCIAL INSPECTORS CHARGE THERATS BECAUSE OF “ASI”

“On the 10th July 1997. in 14;30 in front of the Hotel Crna Gora when I Komnen Vujinovic and Milenko Koruga were going across the parking place and reaching the entrance of the hotel, an unknown person, a man about 35 years old, went out of the car where three more unknown persons were sitting and told us: You are the ones who reported about “ASI” in such a way, I will destroy you and your families”, swearing our mothers and everything we have, and then he spoke particularly to me Komnen Vujovic and told me: “I will not destroy only you I will destroy your family your house and everything you have”. All these threats we were listening calmly and then we went on to the hotel. Since we were attacked while we were returning from the job we ask from the responsible authorities to protect us and our families from this and the similar attacks”, stays in the complaint of the two financial inspectors from the Department of Public Revenue and the head of the Financial Police in Podgorica.

IN THE GOVERNMENT’S SETTING

The director of the Department of Public Revenue has received report from their station in Petrovac by the head of that station Budimir Minic. This is the case from May which has been accurately forwarded to the Ministry of Interior Affairs of Montenegro, and it represents an example of the relationship between the Government and this Ministry.
“On the 26th of May 1997. I was informed in a written form by the duty officer of the station in Petrovac that over that station on the relation Bar-Budva had passed without stopping the convoy of 18 Lorries escorted by the police. Lorries had Italian registration numbers. The duty officer was Milovan Ostojic. The convoy passed at 14:30”

THE MYSTERY OF “BLUE EYE”

“Blue eye”, ex “Premium” boat, is a mystery whole Bar is talking about. It was bought from the navy, and today it is registered in Honduras. The formal owner was Gani Voglic, actually his company General Tourist Company “Marco Polo” from Ulcinj. After that the owner was the company “Komitent” owned by Natasa Kestner.
In the documents about this boat there is a data that the draught is 1, 34 mm long. The financial inspectors controlling the documents found out that this boat was used for carrying huge quantities of coffee, cigarettes and whiskey from the port of Bar to the ports of Limasol, Drac, La Valetta, Kopar, and others.
According to documentation, as the boat is “lake a pan”, it could sail only inside Yugoslav borders. The deadweight of “Blue Eye” is maximum 100 tonnes. There was the data in the documents which showed that it was loaded with 300 tonnes of coffee and 34 tonnes of whiskey in just one tour of casting off.
What was it about? It was just a mask to imitate that the goods left the country, in order to be freed from taxes, import duty and excise, the real situation was that coffee and whiskey were sold with very high profit to vendors in FRY.
Suddenly “Blue Eye” disappeared. It didn’t exist and no one knew where it had been. There were some presumptions that it had been anchored on the Albanian part of the Skadar Lake or it had been sunken.
In this case the company “Komitent” lead by family Kestner famous by “business with the cigarettes” has been included.

AVOIDING CUSTOMS SERVICES

The case of the boat “Stavros Emanuel” could not escape the eyes of the Financial Police. It came at the port of Bar on the 25th May with the cargo of 476 tonnes of coffee.
Nothing was unloaded from it, according to the official data.
They passed by customs.
This boat left the port of Bar with 2.400 boxes of cigarettes.
For the owner and others involved in this business there were the salaries which others could not earn in a lifetime.
Only responsible authorities can give the answers how the customs and the control by the Financial Police were avoided in this case.

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