BELGRADE, August 26, 2003 - G17 Plus deputy leader Mladjan Dinkic continued his allegations of corruption in the government this afternoon, claiming links between two cabinet members and members of the Zemun and Surcin clans. Dinkic told a press conference that Telecommunications Minister Marija Raseta-Vukosavljevic and Deputy Serbian Prime Minister Cedomir Jovanovic had assisted members of the two gangs to buy businesses in Serbia and launder money.

He quoted remarks by Republic of Srpska Prime Minister Borislav Mikelic published in some media.

According to Mikelic, the prime suspect in the assassination of prime minister Zoran Djindjic, Milorad “Legija” Lukovic, had invested about 100 million euros through some ten businessmen in the privatization of Serbian companies.

Dinkic said he expected Jovanovic and Raseta-Vukosavljevic to clarify the extent to which some ministers had helped members of the Zemun and Surcin gangs to legitimize the wealth they had amassed through criminal activities.

“Serious accusations have been made and according to these claims, the man you suspect of murdering the prime minister is one of those buying into Serbian companies, with the help of the Serbian Government,” said the G17 Plus deputy leader.

“According to these claims, which have been published, and the testimony of some people which has never been contradicted, Legija would receive lists of public companies scheduled for privatization directly from the Serbian Government, from people he referred at the time as his friends. This was 2000 and 2001.

“Marija Raseta-Vukosavljevic also knows very well the basis on which she would permit people to enter various businesses in Serbia.

Privatisation tenders “rigged”
We expect them to say what they have to say first, and then we’ll continue, because we have evidence, just as we have evidence of everything else.”

Dinkic also alleged that the former security advisor to the prime minister, Zoran Janjusevic, had been involved in rigging tenders for the privatization of the Novi Popovac cement works.

He showed journalists documents proving that meetings of the company’s board, chaired by Nemanja Kolesar, had been attended by Janjusevic, together with Nebojsa Lekovic, a member of Police Minister Dusan Mihajlovic’s Serbian Liberals.

Both Janjusevic and Kolesar were dumped from government posts after earlier allegations of money laundering by Dinkic and G17 Plus.

Their presence at the board meeting, said Dinkic, was only additional proof of corruption in the sale of the cement works.

“We were also surprised to learn that Nebojsa Lekovic, a senior official of the Serbian Liberals, also sat on the board, and we expect an investigation to establish the role played in this affair by him and Boran Karadjole, as well as Janjusevic and Kolesar,” he said.

Karadjole, who was later to become president of the Serbian Cement Industry Association, had previously had nothing to do with cement manufacture until the privatization of two publicly owned cement plants,” said Dinkic.

Private surveillance equipment
Dinkic also said that the affair had gained a new dimension with the revelation by Deputy Prime Minister Zarko Korac that surveillance equipment owned by Janjusevic had been used during Operation Sabre, the police clean up of organized crime which followed the Djindjic assassination.

“On the basis of what law has Janjusevic’s private surveillance equipment been used to spy on political opponents, foreign diplomats, businessmen and coalition partners suspected of opposing the government”

“We have information about the use of this equipment during the previous period, as well. Foreign diplomats have complained a lot in the past about being bugged, but until Korac confirmed it, we had no valid proof.

“This now poses some serious questions. On whose orders was Zoran Janjusevic bugging telephone conversations in Serbia? Who has the files compiled in this illegal surveillance? What are those files being used for?”

These questions must be answered urgently by Deputy Prime Minister Korac, said Dinkic.

Manipulation and lies, says Korac
Korac described Dinkic’s assertions as manipulation and lies, saying that the G17 Plus deputy leader should read the report of the commission which investigated security lapses involved in the Djindjic assassination.

The report, he said, has been published precisely in order to avoid allegations such as Dinkic’s.

The deputy prime minister told media that the report explained in detail those issues which Dinkic was now turning into a mystery.

“As you can see from a part of the report in question, it was a completely legal action by the intelligence service, carried out with court orders.

“Dinkic is creating scandals where none exist, and I’m sure the citizens of Serbia will realize he’s doing it for personal reasons,” said Korac.