Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic said today that he did nothing illegal when he founded the company outside Montenegro in 2012 and called on the prosecution to investigate the case of trusts at offshore destinations. Commenting on the latest alleged “affair” launched by an organization close to the government – MANS, he pointed out that it was “another fabricated affair, which should be used for domestic political needs.”
He announced that in Slovenia, where the European Union-Western Balkans Summit is being held, answering questions about the “Pandora Papers” case.
“I would not have anything new to add on that topic, in relation to what I said to the team of investigative journalists, which dealt with that topic, and in relation to what was announced from my Cabinet after another in a series of scandals was launched. In my opinion, this is another construction, another contrived affair, which should serve domestic needs and which will surely, very quickly, lead to the collapse of the authorities of its authors and which will lead to their complete compromise,” said Djukanovic in Kranj.
He stated that he does not link his legal actions to state functions and that he behaves like a man who “must protect not only his reputation, but also the authority of the functions he has performed and is performing, as well as the reputation of the state he heads”.
The president reiterated that the disputed registered company “did not even open a bank account and therefore could not do anything and was shut down very soon after its formation.”
“It is very important that we all understand that both when we are in office and when we are not, that everything we do is done legally and in accordance with the strict standards of morality that we affirm and that we must adhere to. Neither I nor my son have ever and will certainly not do anything to the detriment of the state of Montenegro, unlike those who are trying to launch an affair and who are trying, without argument, to nail me to a pillar of shame,” said Djukanovic.
He also said that he showed his attitude towards the state in “long years of fighting for it and building institutions”.
“When I would get rid of state functions, which I tried many times and strongly wanted, I did not ask the state to extend my right to any salary, but when I left office I concluded my employment with the state, and I took care to provide my existence. Those who have not earned a single cent in their lives, have no right to recommend me what to do and how to behave”, said the President of Montenegro in Slovenia.
Distorted personalities and grant-makers
If everything is as I tell you, as he stated, then the question actually remains whether I should treat the moral recommendations of my critics with more respect, the answer is no.
“I have to admit that I really enjoy it because we are on completely opposite moral positions. Not only because some of them are in my opinion perverted personalities, everyone has the right to be even perverted, I tolerate such freedom to every individual, but it is simply very problematic when someone with such a pedigree tries to share moral lessons with anyone in society, it is at least my right not to accept those moral lessons. In addition, I do not fall into the category of grant-makers who always look only at how they can get some money from this or that budget. I am someone who has never done any private work during my public work. That has never interfered with me,” said Djukanovic.
I didn’t crawl on the floor and lick spoons
He recalled that seven times he himself led the government serving the state.
“I did not serve any religious community, I did not crawl on the floor and lick spoons, spread the pandemic and then deploy people, my religious fanatic friends from that religious community to responsible positions in the country, trying to present them as experts. I didn't do it. I did my job responsibly, I am proud of what is left behind and what remains. Peace remains, multiethnic harmony remains, the country remains bombed, independence remains, NATO membership remains, the EU lobby remains, and perhaps EU membership remains, so that we are not skeptical when Montenegro will reach it. I am very proud of that and if there were no catastrophic results of that unfortunate government and its leaders, everything they say would amuse me, it does not amuse me like this, it worries me very much and because it worries me I am strengthening my desire to remove this incompetent government as soon as possible. we would preserve Montenegro, its stability and its European perspective”, said Djukanovic.
He reminded that SDT decided to deal with this issue.
“I am glad that in the multitude of obligations that have one of the important priorities, they see that they are acting on this obviously fabricated affair, my request to them will only be that we never leave this job unexplained until the end, that we leave room for anyone to doubt and to continue with his constructions. My commitment will be to make sure to contact every international address, to try to find one cent, one piece of property, anything that could compromise for me and any member of my family, and then put an end to that question and to show once and for all that we are a mature state that is able to act both efficiently and promptly, but which is also able to say to those who make a sense of their whole life what it should say to them, and that is that they are people who do not deserve respect and they do not deserve the attention of any serious part of our public”, said Đukanović.
As a reminder, the NGO MANS launched a new “affair” on Sunday, stating that Milo and Blažo Đukanović entered into secret agreements on the management of their property in 2012, hiding behind a complicated network of related companies from Great Britain, Switzerland, the British Virgin Islands, Panama and Gibraltar.