DN: Chief special prosecutor Milivoje Katnic publicly stated that there was a so-called special war being waged against him and his colleagues. Do you have a similar knowledge relating to him and also to you? Does the prosecutor’s office face obstruction or pressure in the investigation of corruption affairs and what kind?
– The chief special prosecutor explained that it was an obstruction by those who are trying to prevent the Prosecutor’s Office to deal with them. Each perpetrator is trying to somehow prevent the Prosecution to reach him/her. The achieved results show how they are successful in that. Those results are a confirmation of what I have been saying from the beginning and what caused certain doubts – that nobody will be able to escape justice and that all the perpetrators of criminal acts will be brought to it. It is only a matter of time – someone will face it sooner, someone later. No one who is found to have violated the law will be skipped. They can only waste their time on the obstruction. No matter how hard they try, their work is futile. As for the pressure, it can only work for those who are not immune to it. I believe that those who intend to make a pressure are very well aware of this, so they bypass those who resist all kind of pressure. I was bypassed during the decades-long judicial career, so there is no reason to change this now when I am at the head of the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office.
DN: In the past few months the Special State Prosecutor’s Office has achieved remarkable results. Is there any progress in other prosecutors’ offices?
– Hadn’t I been convinced that the Special State Prosecutor’s Office would achieve such results, I would not have suggested that the Prosecutorial Council appoint Milivoje Katnic as a chief special prosecutor. Although the decision used to be contested by certain people, its justification has been increasingly clear. The Special State Prosecutor’s Office has set high standards in its work and this is what I expect from other prosecutors’ offices. They cannot hide behind the results achieved by the Special Public Prosecutor’s Office. Although I have insisted on a proactive approach since I was appointed at this post, I cannot say that I am fully satisfied with what certain prosecutors’ offices have achieved so far. Therefore, the things definitely have to be changed in order to achieve progress and tangible results. If our goal is to be an institution recognised solely by the results achieved, then more efforts would be required in the future. This means that some colleagues will have to reach and some of them to maintain high standards.
DN: How do you comment on Katnic’s initiative to amend the Law on the Special Prosecutor’s Office in the part referring to the election of a head of the police team? Are you satisfied with appointing Dragan Radonjic as head this team? Was he your favourite too?
– I fully support the activities of the chief special prosecutor and do not doubt his choice. My favourite, as you say, will always be a professional, who is led in his activities only by regulations and not by anyone’s interests.
DN: How do you comment on the increasing application of plea bargains? To what extent plea bargains make it easier to achieve higher number of convictions for corruption and organised crime? Will it contribute to more efficient compensation collecting?
– Applying the plea bargain institution is not as common as it seems due to the fact that it is a recent legal institution in Montenegrin legislation. The prosecution certainly would not use the possibility of reaching plea bargains if it was not an institution which has certain advantages. Primarily, it allows a faster completion of the criminal proceedings and cost reduction, while not jeopardizing the interests of legality and justice. Note that the pledge is considered complete only if it fully corresponds to the charges, or the attitude of the prosecutor in the indictment. When pleading guilty, a defendant not only admits that he committed a criminal offense, but speaks about his/her accomplices too. It is also important to emphasise that the institution of plea bargain does not rule out conducting financial investigations simultaneously. Earlier, the Prosecutor’s Office was criticized because it did not use this legal possibility, but there is also criticism now when this institution exists in practice. By our moves we do not want to satisfy any of the sides, but to use legal possibilities. If they are used in over 90% of the cases in the United States, I see no reason why we would not use it to a much lesser extent”, Stankovic said adding that the final decision on approving a plea bargain is made by a criminal court.
The perpetrators cannot be protected against prosecutor’s office
Asked to comment on accusations coming from the Police Directorate and its announcement that accountability of competent prosecutors will be sought if the two suspected officers of the Police Department for Fight against Organised Crime are found not guilty, Stankovic reiterated that the prosecution obey the law and that it conducts the inquires and investigations pursuant to the law.
As he added, the law also stipulates that the police act upon prosecution’s orders and that the prosecutor’s office presents evidence before a court and not before police management.
“I emphasise that every citizen in Montenegro who has not violated the regulations, regardless of their profession, is protected exclusively by the Constitution and the law. Offenders cannot and must not be protected by any government branch. Therefore, protection against the activities of the Prosecutor’s Office as an independent body should not be sought by either the legislative, or executive, or judicial power,” he said.
Ministers and directors will not be spared either
DN: Will the arrests related to high-level corruption be continued and at what pace? Can it happen soon that some current or former ministers, mayors or directors end up behind bars?
– I believe that you will understand that I cannot specifically answer this question. What is certain is that the Prosecutor’s Office will not stop dealing with all offenders, regardless of whether they are ministers, mayors, directors or other officials. Whoever violated the law has the reason to be worry.
Did Mujovic have accomplices among judges, prosecutors or police officers?
Stankovic could not answer a set of questions related to the inquiry against Veselin Mujovic from Podgorica who is accused for fraud due to the interest of the investigation.
Dnevne Novine daily also asked Stankovic why the signing of the plea bargain with Lazar Radjenovic and Milos Marovic stalled and whether it is connected with the charges against Mujovic. Stankovic was also asked whether it was true that Mujovic had abused his or Katnic’s name while performing the fraud and how many people were victims of the fraud. DN also asked if Mujovic had accomplices among judges, prosecutors or police officers.
“I remind you that these are the cases labelled as secret, which is why I cannot disclose more detailed information. In any case, the public will be informed about it to the extent possible in the right way, through official channels,” Stankovic said.
