Satellite Affair details no longer confidential

The Serbian government has lifted the confidential status from the files related to the case of satellite rental from Israeli company ImageSat. The government also appointed a commission for negotiations with the Israelis, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said on Friday in Belgrade. Satellite Affair details no longer confidential The commission has been tasked to work and minimize the damage Serbia sustained after failing to honor the contract and losing a lawsuit, Cvetkovic told reporters after a meeting of his cabinet today. ImageSat sued Serbia for failing to live up to its part of the spy satellite rental contract. In 2008, Serbia lost the case before the International Court of Arbitration in Paris and was ordered to pay EUR 36mn to the Israeli company for violating the contract signed in 2005 by then Serbia and Montenegro Defense Minister Prvoslav Davinic. Serbia later appealed to the court in London, but lost again and had to pay RSD 1.38mn in court costs. In 2005, Davinic signed a contract with Israeli company ImageSat, which was never realized. He has been charged with abuse of office. Economy Minister Mladjan Dinkic stated on Thursday that the judiciary “should say how much responsibility lies with whom” in the affair, but added that “someone will have to go to prison for it”. “If that doesn't come to pass, then it will be clear that somebody is protecting the main participants of the affair,” he was quoted as saying. The economy minister and G17 Plus party leader told Belgrade daily Danas that judicial authorities and police needed to react and conduct an investigation against former fellow G17 Plus member Prvoslav Davinic before going to arbitrage with the Israeli company. “It’s clear that Davinic’s signature is on all contracts, and that of Svetozar Marovic on some as well,“ Dinkic said. Meanwhile, the total figure owned by Serbia has been going up by EUR 5,336 each day, since the court case ended on February 26, 2010. Mirko Cvetkovic, right, is seen during the government meeting today (Beta) Tadic reacts Serbian President Boris Tadic, who was a member of the Supreme Council of Defense at the time of the signing of the contact, said today in Bor, eastern Serbia, that the the decision to rent the satellite was not disputable in itself, from security point of view. Beside economic, Serbia is also facing security challenges and therefore it may have the need for satellite images in the future, he said. “I expect, however, that the Serbian government will declassify all information regarding the satellite case in order to clarify what kind of contracts there were, under which conditions they were made and what amount of money they concerned,” the president said, and explained that it was not the security, but the economic “dimension” of the deal that was contentious. “In the Ground Safety Zone (along the administrative line with Kosovo), we must protect ourselves from potential terrorist attacks and protect the local population, therefore there’s nothing strange about engaging satellite pictures,” Tadic was quoted as saying.

Satellite Affair details no longer confidential

The commission has been tasked to work and minimize the damage Serbia sustained after failing to honor the contract and losing a lawsuit, Cvetković told reporters after a meeting of his cabinet today.

ImageSat sued Serbia for failing to live up to its part of the spy satellite rental contract.

In 2008, Serbia lost the case before the International Court of Arbitration in Paris and was ordered to pay EUR 36mn to the Israeli company for violating the contract signed in 2005 by then Serbia and Montenegro Defense Minister Prvoslav Davinić.

Serbia later appealed to the court in London, but lost again and had to pay RSD 1.38mn in court costs.

In 2005, Davinić signed a contract with Israeli company ImageSat, which was never realized. He has been charged with abuse of office.

Economy Minister Mlađan Dinkić stated on Thursday that the judiciary “should say how much responsibility lies with whom” in the affair, but added that “someone will have to go to prison for it”.

“If that doesn't come to pass, then it will be clear that somebody is protecting the main participants of the affair,” he was quoted as saying.

The economy minister and G17 Plus party leader told Belgrade daily Danas that judicial authorities and police needed to react and conduct an investigation against former fellow G17 Plus member Prvoslav Davinić before going to arbitrage with the Israeli company.

“It’s clear that Davinić’s signature is on all contracts, and that of Svetozar Marović on some as well,“ Dinkić said.

Meanwhile, the total figure owned by Serbia has been going up by EUR 5,336 each day, since the court case ended on February 26, 2010.

Tadić reacts

Serbian President Boris Tadić, who was a member of the Supreme Council of Defense at the time of the signing of the contact, said today in Bor, eastern Serbia, that the the decision to rent the satellite was not disputable in itself, from security point of view.

Beside economic, Serbia is also facing security challenges and therefore it may have the need for satellite images in the future, he said.

“I expect, however, that the Serbian government will declassify all information regarding the satellite case in order to clarify what kind of contracts there were, under which conditions they were made and what amount of money they concerned,” the president said, and explained that it was not the security, but the economic “dimension” of the deal that was contentious.

“In the Ground Safety Zone (along the administrative line with Kosovo), we must protect ourselves from potential terrorist attacks and protect the local population, therefore there’s nothing strange about engaging satellite pictures,” Tadić was quoted as saying.