Ex-Partizan FC executive denies wrongdoing

Former Partizan FC Secretary General Žarko Zečević says he will not hide or leave the country.

Izvor: Beta

Saturday, 16.02.2008.

16:53

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Former Partizan FC Secretary General Zarko Zecevic says he will not hide or leave the country. His comments yesterday came after speculation that Partizan, one of the country's two top football clubs, was also involved in financial scams that recently cost three former officials from rivals Red Star FC their freedom. Ex-Partizan FC executive denies wrongdoing Zecevic said the arrests of Dragan Dzajic and Vladimir Cvetkovic, suspected of stealing over EUR 5mn in player transfer money, was hard for him to witness. "I was in Italy for a skiing holiday when this happened and it was hard for me, since we have been friends in sport for a long time. I do not wish to comment on the whole case, since it is up to the police to do their job," he told Belgrade's Enter TV. Some media speculated that he had fled the country in anticipation of a MUP investigation into his affairs. "I was in Italy with my son, on a holiday, and that was planned a month in advance. I am alive and well, here I am in the country, and I have no reason to hide. During my mandate, Partizan had some 150 player transfers and none of those involved complained, nor was anyone ever swindled," Zecevic said. But he did admit that the club brought the transfer money to the country during the international sanctions against Serbia in the early 1900s "in a specific way". "Back then, Partizan functioned just as any other company in this country. We had to be resourceful to get the transfer money from abroad. The way in which we did this was unique, but I cannot mention the names of the people who helped us. If I were to name them, they could suffer the consequences," Zecevic was cryptic. "From 1993 to 2000, there were three hard currency inspections in Partizan. The budgetary inspection was in the club in 1999, and police came with them. During the sanctions, there was no control, but the whole state went through a rough period," he added. Zecevic also denied some media reports that he had allies among Serbia's politicians, who protect him from police probes.

Ex-Partizan FC executive denies wrongdoing

Zečević said the arrests of Dragan Džajić and Vladimir Cvetković, suspected of stealing over EUR 5mn in player transfer money, was hard for him to witness.

"I was in Italy for a skiing holiday when this happened and it was hard for me, since we have been friends in sport for a long time. I do not wish to comment on the whole case, since it is up to the police to do their job," he told Belgrade's Enter TV.

Some media speculated that he had fled the country in anticipation of a MUP investigation into his affairs.

"I was in Italy with my son, on a holiday, and that was planned a month in advance. I am alive and well, here I am in the country, and I have no reason to hide. During my mandate, Partizan had some 150 player transfers and none of those involved complained, nor was anyone ever swindled," Zečević said.

But he did admit that the club brought the transfer money to the country during the international sanctions against Serbia in the early 1900s "in a specific way".

"Back then, Partizan functioned just as any other company in this country. We had to be resourceful to get the transfer money from abroad. The way in which we did this was unique, but I cannot mention the names of the people who helped us. If I were to name them, they could suffer the consequences," Zečević was cryptic.

"From 1993 to 2000, there were three hard currency inspections in Partizan. The budgetary inspection was in the club in 1999, and police came with them. During the sanctions, there was no control, but the whole state went through a rough period," he added.

Zečević also denied some media reports that he had allies among Serbia's politicians, who protect him from police probes.

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