"Montenegrin PM behind murder of journalist"

A former close associate of Montenegrin PM Milo Djukanovic has once again made grave accusations against him. Ratko Knezevic – himself described as "a controversial businessman" – spoke for Croatia's state broadcaster HRT to say that Djukanovic and another "businessman" – Stanko Subotic aka Cane – were behind the murder of publisher and journalist Ivo Pukananic. "Montenegrin PM behind murder of journalist" Pukanic and another person on his staff were killed in a bomb explosion in Zagreb a year ago. Knezevic, who previously made a series of similar accusations, repeated that he believes the murder was executed by the so-called Tobacco Cartel, allegedly controlled by Djukanovic and Subotic. The motive behind the decision to kill Pukanic, Knezevic continued, was his writing, "which halted the biggest smuggling operation in Europe since the Second World War". He added that it will now be up to courts in Croatia and Serbia to make indictments and solve the case, but that he personally "has no doubt". In Belgrade, Subotic's attorney Rade Tadic rejected the accusations as "lies". Tadic said that he and his client filed a complaint against Knezevic in 2001 for blackmail, when he allegedly demanded 1.6 million German marks in order for Pukanic's weekly Nacional "to stop writing about Subotic". The lawyer says that Subotic refused to pay, and that Knezevic has been "telling untruths about him ever since." "His very statement shows that these are blatant lies. First of all, he concludes that according to the chronology of events, after Nacional's articles in 2002 the smuggling stopped and that was allegedly the motive to kill Pukanic," stated Tadic, and added that if that were the case, "it would make sense to kill him during or immediately after" the stories were published, "not seven years later". Another thing that Subotic's lawyers says exposes Knezevic's claims is that his client has been indicted by Belgrade's Special Prosecution for cigarette smuggling that took place in 1995 and 1996. Special Prosecutor for Organized Crime Miljko Radosavljevic says he recently interviewed Knezevic in relation to these cases. "Our estimate is that he has direct knowledge about the cigarette smuggling in this region that went on from 1995 until 2000." "As you are aware, the Special Prosecution has so far started three criminal proceedings into cigarette trafficking, one of them against Stanko Subotic," said the prosecutor. He also announced that "bearing in mind the importance of information that Mr. Knezevic has, we believe that his testimony would contribute to determining the truth, and we will likely send such a proposal to the court chamber". Earlier this year, in a series of media interviews, Knezevic accused Djukanovic and Subotic of organizing cigarette smuggling and murders, and volunteered the names of the alleged killers in some unsolved murder cases.

"Montenegrin PM behind murder of journalist"

Pukanić and another person on his staff were killed in a bomb explosion in Zagreb a year ago.

Knežević, who previously made a series of similar accusations, repeated that he believes the murder was executed by the so-called Tobacco Cartel, allegedly controlled by Đukanović and Subotić.

The motive behind the decision to kill Pukanić, Knežević continued, was his writing, "which halted the biggest smuggling operation in Europe since the Second World War".

He added that it will now be up to courts in Croatia and Serbia to make indictments and solve the case, but that he personally "has no doubt".

In Belgrade, Subotić's attorney Rade Tadić rejected the accusations as "lies".

Tadić said that he and his client filed a complaint against Knežević in 2001 for blackmail, when he allegedly demanded 1.6 million German marks in order for Pukanić's weekly Nacional "to stop writing about Subotić".

The lawyer says that Subotić refused to pay, and that Knežević has been "telling untruths about him ever since."

"His very statement shows that these are blatant lies. First of all, he concludes that according to the chronology of events, after Nacional's articles in 2002 the smuggling stopped and that was allegedly the motive to kill Pukanić," stated Tadić, and added that if that were the case, "it would make sense to kill him during or immediately after" the stories were published, "not seven years later".

Another thing that Subotić's lawyers says exposes Knežević's claims is that his client has been indicted by Belgrade's Special Prosecution for cigarette smuggling that took place in 1995 and 1996.

Special Prosecutor for Organized Crime Miljko Radosavljević says he recently interviewed Knežević in relation to these cases.

"Our estimate is that he has direct knowledge about the cigarette smuggling in this region that went on from 1995 until 2000."

"As you are aware, the Special Prosecution has so far started three criminal proceedings into cigarette trafficking, one of them against Stanko Subotić," said the prosecutor.

He also announced that "bearing in mind the importance of information that Mr. Knežević has, we believe that his testimony would contribute to determining the truth, and we will likely send such a proposal to the court chamber".

Earlier this year, in a series of media interviews, Knežević accused Đukanović and Subotić of organizing cigarette smuggling and murders, and volunteered the names of the alleged killers in some unsolved murder cases.