Former ally slams Đukanović as "cartel boss"

A former adviser to Montenegrin PM Milo Djukanovic says that the so-called Tobacco Cartel is to blame for the murder of Ivo Pukanic. The Croatian journalist and publisher was assassinated last fall in Zagreb. Now Ratko Knezevic told Podgorica's Vijesti daily what he claims he knows about cigarette smuggling operations, secret channels, bank accounts and persons involved. Former ally slams Djukanovic as "cartel boss" Previously, Knezevic, who headed the Montenegrin Mission in Washington for a time during the 1990s, made his statement to the Italian authorities fighting organized crime. He says he received information that his safety was jeopardized after this, and that he is "the next target of the Tobacco Cartel's military wing". He told the newspaper that he learned about the cigarette smuggling "just as every other citizen of Montenegro". "That was the worst kept Montenegrin secret. As Mr. Djukanovic's adviser and chief of the Montenegrin Mission in the U.S., of course I knew even more. It was a job that, in its own way, could have been legitimate only and exclusively for the duration of the UN sanctions, because the state coffers needed to be filled, in every sense of the word," Knezevic said. He claims that as Milo Djukanovic took over the power in Montenegro in 1997, the smuggling grew to, according to EU and U.S. law protection agencies, reach several billion dollars annually in 1999 and 2000. Knezevic explained how cigarettes were smuggled. "The Italian part of the job was controlled by Veselin Vesko Barovic and Branko Vujosevic, who opened a private company, Montenegrin Tobacco Transit, MTT. This agency used its representative in Milan, Duska Jeknic, to contact clients who were exponents and leaders of key mafia clans in Bari and Naples, and who obtained four exclusive licenses for transport of cigarettes via Montenegro. For this, they paid lump tax, and also tax depending on the shipment." "They, in turn, opened a specialized currency exchange office in Lugano, Switzerland, to launder the money made from this job, about which former Montenegrin government associate Goran Stanojevuc testified in front of prosecutors in Bari and Naples," said Knezevic. According to him, the Serbian part of the operation which he claims was "almost identical in volume to the Italian", was controlled by Stanko Cane Subotic. This was allegedly agreed on by Djukanovic and Serbia's Milosevic-era secret services chief Jovica Stanisic. Subotic hired two Djukanovic's personal friends as his assistants in Montenegro, said Knezevic, and identified the pair as Dusko Ban and Zeljko Mihailovic. "Police protection was conducted in both jobs – Serbian and Italian – by Goran Zugic, while Vuk Boskovic took over after his murder. All this time, all these people had only one boss and answered to one man only: Milo Djukanovic," Knezevic claims. He continued to tell the daily that " in 1999 and 2000 alone, about 2.3bn German marks were laundered via Codex and Dulwich companies based in Lichtenstein and Cyprus respectively". Italian investigators suspected that Djukanovic and Subotic controlled both companies, and documented this in the part of the indictment raised concerning the Bari investigation. Knezevic alleges that the Tobacco Cartel has its "military wing", which was, according to him, behind the murders of Vanja Bokan, killed in Athens, Radoslav Sojicic Badza and Jusuf Bulic Jusa, both shot and killed in Belgrade, as well as the Podgorica murders of Goran Zugic, Beli Raspopovic, Milan Rajkovic and Dusko Jovanovic. Jovanovic was editor-in-chief of Podgorica daily Dan at the time of his death. Knezevic also said he is convinced that the same group, which he describes as "the most powerful mafia organization in the Balkans in the past century", killed Zagreb weekly Nacional owner Ivo Pukanic and his marketing director Niko Franjic. Knezevic also believes he is in danger of being killed. "Pukanic died as a victim of his trade, his pen, his courage and the courage of his journalists. His life represented 'chronicles of an announced death' ever since his writing halted the strongest Balkan mafia organization of the 20th century." Knezevic further claims that Serbian opposition politicians Aleksandar Vucic and Tomislav Nikolic "met with Subotic and Djukanovic several times in the Ritz Hotel in Paris, for the first time in October 2007", and that Belgrade journalist Milomir Maric "was also present". "Why? Because Subotic and Djukanovic have long had a plan to rule the media and political space of the former Yugoslavia, for the sake of their business and illegal activities. That was the 'infernal plan' that Pukanic and his Nacional exposed, and because of which Pukanic and Franjic lost their lives," concluded Knezevic. The Montenegrin premier today did not address these accusations, but his ruling DPS party denied them, while the opposition said it wants the state prosecution to react. The Italian prosecution last year dropped Djukanovic's name from its cigarette smuggling indictment, citing his immunity.

Former ally slams Đukanović as "cartel boss"

Previously, Knežević, who headed the Montenegrin Mission in Washington for a time during the 1990s, made his statement to the Italian authorities fighting organized crime. He says he received information that his safety was jeopardized after this, and that he is "the next target of the Tobacco Cartel's military wing".

He told the newspaper that he learned about the cigarette smuggling "just as every other citizen of Montenegro".

"That was the worst kept Montenegrin secret. As Mr. Đukanović's adviser and chief of the Montenegrin Mission in the U.S., of course I knew even more. It was a job that, in its own way, could have been legitimate only and exclusively for the duration of the UN sanctions, because the state coffers needed to be filled, in every sense of the word," Knežević said.

He claims that as Milo Đukanović took over the power in Montenegro in 1997, the smuggling grew to, according to EU and U.S. law protection agencies, reach several billion dollars annually in 1999 and 2000.

Knežević explained how cigarettes were smuggled.

"The Italian part of the job was controlled by Veselin Vesko Barović and Branko Vujošević, who opened a private company, Montenegrin Tobacco Transit, MTT. This agency used its representative in Milan, Duška Jeknić, to contact clients who were exponents and leaders of key mafia clans in Bari and Naples, and who obtained four exclusive licenses for transport of cigarettes via Montenegro. For this, they paid lump tax, and also tax depending on the shipment."

"They, in turn, opened a specialized currency exchange office in Lugano, Switzerland, to launder the money made from this job, about which former Montenegrin government associate Goran Stanojevuć testified in front of prosecutors in Bari and Naples," said Knežević.

According to him, the Serbian part of the operation which he claims was "almost identical in volume to the Italian", was controlled by Stanko Cane Subotić. This was allegedly agreed on by Đukanović and Serbia's Milošević-era secret services chief Jovica Stanišić.

Subotić hired two Đukanović's personal friends as his assistants in Montenegro, said Knežević, and identified the pair as Duško Ban and Željko Mihailović.

"Police protection was conducted in both jobs – Serbian and Italian – by Goran Žugić, while Vuk Bošković took over after his murder. All this time, all these people had only one boss and answered to one man only: Milo Đukanović," Knežević claims.

He continued to tell the daily that " in 1999 and 2000 alone, about 2.3bn German marks were laundered via Codex and Dulwich companies based in Lichtenstein and Cyprus respectively".

Italian investigators suspected that Đukanović and Subotić controlled both companies, and documented this in the part of the indictment raised concerning the Bari investigation.

Knežević alleges that the Tobacco Cartel has its "military wing", which was, according to him, behind the murders of Vanja Bokan, killed in Athens, Radoslav Sojičić Badža and Jusuf Bulić Jusa, both shot and killed in Belgrade, as well as the Podgorica murders of Goran Žugić, Beli Raspopović, Milan Rajković and Duško Jovanović. Jovanović was editor-in-chief of Podgorica daily Dan at the time of his death.

Knežević also said he is convinced that the same group, which he describes as "the most powerful mafia organization in the Balkans in the past century", killed Zagreb weekly Nacional owner Ivo Pukanić and his marketing director Niko Franjić.

Knežević also believes he is in danger of being killed.

"Pukanić died as a victim of his trade, his pen, his courage and the courage of his journalists. His life represented 'chronicles of an announced death' ever since his writing halted the strongest Balkan mafia organization of the 20th century."

Knežević further claims that Serbian opposition politicians Aleksandar Vučić and Tomislav Nikolić "met with Subotić and Đukanović several times in the Ritz Hotel in Paris, for the first time in October 2007", and that Belgrade journalist Milomir Marić "was also present".

"Why? Because Subotić and Đukanović have long had a plan to rule the media and political space of the former Yugoslavia, for the sake of their business and illegal activities. That was the 'infernal plan' that Pukanić and his Nacional exposed, and because of which Pukanić and Franjić lost their lives," concluded Knežević.

The Montenegrin premier today did not address these accusations, but his ruling DPS party denied them, while the opposition said it wants the state prosecution to react.

The Italian prosecution last year dropped Đukanović's name from its cigarette smuggling indictment, citing his immunity.