Special State Prosecutor’s Office has launched financial investigation against citizen of Israel and Great Britain, Aron Shaviv, former chief of DF election campaign, his collaborator, former CIA agent, Joseph Assad, and another eight persons accused of involvement in criminal activities and plotting terrorist attempt on the day of parliamentary elections in Montenegro in 2016.
The information on the initiation of financial investigation against Assad and other nine persons was published in the Special Prosecutor’s Office report outlining six-month results in 2019 regarding the number of initiated proceedings and financial investigations.
“Financial investigation against 10 persons was launched on 28 May 2019 over the establishment of criminal organization and terrorism attempt”, reads the report.
CASH FLOWS
Investigators have been conducting investigation into the coup attempt in Montenegro. Since 2016.After six months, indictment against 14 persons was brought. After the Prosecutor’s Office had collected evidence in July of 2018, it widened the investigation to include Assad and his collaborators. Prosecutor’s Office revealed the matrix of the group’s activities as well as the manner in which pre-election DF campaign was financed. Investigators managed to get into the cash flows and discover the role of Aron Shaviv. DF campaign was allegedly financed by Russian citizens through Shaviv’s company.
Such findings were presented at the media conference at the end of July when investigators explained in detail how the plan had been drawn up and implemented and what companies took part in the “activities”. Shaviv was supposed to receive the money for the implementation of the plan and then forward that money to other members of the organization.
Several-month long investigation showed that DF campaign for parliamentary elections was financed by LLP company in Czech Republic through DC LTD company owned by Shaviv and registered in Cyprus.
“Collated evidence demonstrate that suspected A. S. has paid over €1,15 million during his engagement in the political campaign”, reads the report.
Prosecutors suspect Shaviv of paying for political campaign in Montenegro and undertaking activities aimed at protecting members of the criminal organization.
PAVIĆEVIĆ, KNEŽEVIĆ…
Apart from Assad, Shaviv and their collaborators, Special State Prosecutor’s Office has launched financial investigations against 183 persons and 150 companies over illegally acquired property allegations.
Petar Milutinović, Predrag Veljić, Duško Knećević, Žarko Knežević among others are all under investigation.
The report says that financial investigation was launched against Petar Milutinović and another 22 persons and one company over the establishment of criminal organization, smuggling, abuse of position, giving and receiving bribes and producing fake ID documents. Predrag Veljić was accused of cigarette smuggling. Formed mayor of Bar, Žarko Pavićević, was accused of abuse of position.
27 plea deals have been reached
Special prosecutors have reached 27 plea deals in six months. Punishments imposed were mostly prison sentences, in some cases fines, and even seizure of criminal assets.
Four plea deals were reached for establishment of criminal organization, three for the unauthorized production, supply and use of illegal drugs and establishment of criminal organization, one plea deal for the abuse of position, and one plea deal for tax evasion which is still pending.
The report says that one plea deal was reached with one physical persons and one company on money laundering charges. There were also cases of plea deals related to unauthorized border crossing and human trafficking.
155 persons are being checked
In six months Special State Prosecutor’s Office has issued orders for initiating investigation into 15 cases against 155 persons. Seven cases refer to organized crime, whereas four cases refer to high corruption criminal offences.
The report states that investigation orders have been issued in three cases against 53 persons suspected of money laundering and eight persons suspected of plotting terrorism activities.
