Ex-minister Dinkić says his conscience is clear

BELGRADE Former minister and leader of the URS party Mladjan Dinkic was on Wednesday questioned by police for four hours in connection with a controversial privatization. Dinkic was answering questions related to the business operations of the National Savings Bank (Nacionalna Stedionica). Ex-minister Dinkic says his conscience is clear Dinkic told reporters that, during the four hours, he gave a statement as a citizen and witness, as during the banking system reform, he was governor of the National Bank of Serbia (NBS). According to Dinkic, police interviewed him as part of the investigation into the 24 dubious privatizations, including the National Savings Bank. Dinkic says that even before the government reshuffle which left him out of the cabinet, hehad requested from Serbia's First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Ivica Dacic "to shed full light on the case related to the Savings Bank in a year's time," and voiced hope that it would be done soon. “I am sure that this case will be positively solved, as far as I am concerned. My conscience is completely clear,” Dinkic said, and, according to Tanjug, "voiced gladness" that the police interview was carried out now when he is no longer in the government. The issue of the bank was first brought to the public's attention by the then Anti-Corruption Council chairwoman, Verica Barac, in 2004. As a private bank, it was commissioned to pay out all foreign currency savings and was also given the offices of the former state Auditing Service, which were located in expensive areas in many towns throughout Serbia. The bank was bought by the Greek EFG Bank. (Tanjug) Beta Tanjug

Ex-minister Dinkić says his conscience is clear

Dinkić told reporters that, during the four hours, he gave a statement as a citizen and witness, as during the banking system reform, he was governor of the National Bank of Serbia (NBS).

According to Dinkić, police interviewed him as part of the investigation into the 24 dubious privatizations, including the National Savings Bank.

Dinkić says that even before the government reshuffle which left him out of the cabinet, hehad requested from Serbia's First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić and Prime Minister Ivica Dačić "to shed full light on the case related to the Savings Bank in a year's time," and voiced hope that it would be done soon.

“I am sure that this case will be positively solved, as far as I am concerned. My conscience is completely clear,” Dinkić said, and, according to Tanjug, "voiced gladness" that the police interview was carried out now when he is no longer in the government.

The issue of the bank was first brought to the public's attention by the then Anti-Corruption Council chairwoman, Verica Barać, in 2004.

As a private bank, it was commissioned to pay out all foreign currency savings and was also given the offices of the former state Auditing Service, which were located in expensive areas in many towns throughout Serbia.

The bank was bought by the Greek EFG Bank.