Storm over LDP claims: Ministers hit back

High Serbian officials named in a criminal complaint lodged by Cedomir Jovanovic have reacted to the accusations. Jovanovic's party, the opposition Liberal-Democrats (LDP), yesterday filed two complaints with a Belgrade court: one for libel, against Delta Holding owner Miroslav Miskovic, who claims Jovanovic was involved in splitting the booty from his 2001 kidnapping. Storm over LDP claims: Ministers hit back The second suit came for alleged criminal association, which says Miskovic was the organizer, with Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica (DSS), Deputy Premier Bozidar Djelic (DS) and Ministers Mladjan Dinkic (G17 Plus), Slobodan Milosavljevic (DS) and Dragan Jocic (DSS), all involved. Bozidar Djelic said today he will launch legal proceedings against the LDP and Jovanovic for libelous claims of criminal association. The deputy prime minister, whom the Liberal Democratic Party leader has cited in a lawsuit as belonging to a criminal group that acquired wealth by illegal means, denied that anyone had manipulated his work. “I won’t allow him to drag my name through the dirt“ said Djelic and called on Jovanovic to prove his claims in court. “No-one influences me, we’re all equal before the law and, if it is proved that any group has broken the law, then it should be punished, according to the law,“ he told B92 radio’s Kaziprst program. “I have nothing to hide. I don’t belong to any group – these are all just preposterous names. So go on, let them say these things in court, and I’ll defend my name, as it’s the most valuable asset I have,“ Djelic said. The deputy prime minister said that it was necessary to look into Miroslav Miskovic’s alleged negotiations with the U.S. embassy, He said that citizens had a right to know the source of politicians’ money, if they had any, and if they were working in the interests of the citizens, or those of a private group or foreign power. Asked about his relationship with Miskovic, an allusion to his appearance at the official opening of the Delta City shopping mall, Djelic said had known the Delta owner since his return to Serbia. “But, I never meet anyone alone or in secret, records are always kept and someone can always prove what we talked about,“ stated the deputy prime minister. He said that Delta had contacted him in the summer, saying that they were due to open the biggest shopping mall in the Balkans, and that he had wanted to support them, as he did all other companies that sought to create new jobs and invest significant capital. Djelic maintained that the lawsuit was an attempt by the LDP to score political points. “Don’t expect me to take part in one party’s marketing campaign,“ said Djelic, reiterating that the presidential elections were drawing near, and that the LDP was doing all this purely for political gain. Djelic claimed that, following the LDP’s accusations, he had called the president of the party’s political council, Vesna Pesic, to ask her if she was behind any of this, to which she replied that she was stunned, and that she would be writing a protest note against her party’s actions. The deputy prime minister said that he had also called Zarko Korac, the president of the LDP’s coalition partner the Social Democratic Union (SDU), on the same subject, who told him that he had nothing to do with the activities of Jovanovic’s party. However, in an SDU statement, Korac said that he entirely supported the LDP’s efforts to get to the bottom of both Delta’s dealings and its position on the Serbian market, regarding the question of whether or not they held a monopoly, and if they were using their economic power and position on the market to unlawfully lean on certain politicians and political parties. “Nowadays, you really need guts to broach such matters that affect Serbia’s future and her democratic institutions,“ read the SDU statement. Minister of Economy and Regional Development Mladjan Dinkic announced on Thursday he would also take legal action against Cedomir Jovanovic, who made serious accusations against him. Dinkic said at a news conference that Jovanovic's statements that Miskovic exerted influence over Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and some other government members are "complete nonsense" and that "Jovanovic is a disgrace for Serbia's politics." Dinkic said that he would file a private lawsuit because, as he assessed, the LDP leader "has gone to far". "If you think that anyone can influence (Vojislav) Kostunica over anything, especially regarding the position over Kosovo, then you do not know him well. If you think that someone can influence me, then you do not know me well," Dinkic underscored and added that the only person that had influence over him "was his wife". "Apparently he kept company so much with people involved in crime that their manners have rubbed off," Dinkic told reporters, and added that he would take legal action because he wanted to defend his honor and reputation and to protect himself from slander. Slobodan Milosavljevic also reacted today and called on Jovanovic to say the truth about the crimes he knows about in public, instead of basing his own defense on false accusations. Milosavljevic underscored that Jovanovic's "election petty-political fabrications" cannot waver him, announcing that he would show before any court with clear conscience if summoned. "Cedomir Jovanovic's statement in which he accuses me of being a criminal is sick, to say the least, because it indicates an exceptionally serious mental state of a stumbling politician, who is losing control of reality and the traces of a human being left in him, throwing mud on all those that he finds to be his serious political opponents," Milosavljevic said in a written statement. "Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing. I say, Father, forgive him, for he knows not what he is saying," said Milosavljevic. The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) spokesman Andreja Mladenovic said today this party will answer Jovanovic's question, whether Vojislav Kostunica is ready to exchange Kosovo for a U.S. visa, only after it finds out if the LDP leader's inquiry came as a result of – drug abuse. "We will answer this if Jovanovic agrees to a blood test first, so that we may determine whether he was under the influence of drugs at the time he made the statement," he told Tanjug. "Only a moral freak under a heavy influence of narcotics can say such a thing," Mladenovic added.

Storm over LDP claims: Ministers hit back

The second suit came for alleged criminal association, which says Mišković was the organizer, with Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica (DSS), Deputy Premier Božidar Đelić (DS) and Ministers Mlađan Dinkić (G17 Plus), Slobodan Milosavljević (DS) and Dragan Jočić (DSS), all involved.

Božidar Đelić said today he will launch legal proceedings against the LDP and Jovanović for libelous claims of criminal association.

The deputy prime minister, whom the Liberal Democratic Party leader has cited in a lawsuit as belonging to a criminal group that acquired wealth by illegal means, denied that anyone had manipulated his work.

“I won’t allow him to drag my name through the dirt“ said Đelić and called on Jovanović to prove his claims in court.

“No-one influences me, we’re all equal before the law and, if it is proved that any group has broken the law, then it should be punished, according to the law,“ he told B92 radio’s Kažiprst program.

“I have nothing to hide. I don’t belong to any group – these are all just preposterous names. So go on, let them say these things in court, and I’ll defend my name, as it’s the most valuable asset I have,“ Đelić said.

The deputy prime minister said that it was necessary to look into Miroslav Mišković’s alleged negotiations with the U.S. embassy,

He said that citizens had a right to know the source of politicians’ money, if they had any, and if they were working in the interests of the citizens, or those of a private group or foreign power.

Asked about his relationship with Mišković, an allusion to his appearance at the official opening of the Delta City shopping mall, Đelić said had known the Delta owner since his return to Serbia.

“But, I never meet anyone alone or in secret, records are always kept and someone can always prove what we talked about,“ stated the deputy prime minister.

He said that Delta had contacted him in the summer, saying that they were due to open the biggest shopping mall in the Balkans, and that he had wanted to support them, as he did all other companies that sought to create new jobs and invest significant capital.

Đelić maintained that the lawsuit was an attempt by the LDP to score political points. “Don’t expect me to take part in one party’s marketing campaign,“ said Đelić, reiterating that the presidential elections were drawing near, and that the LDP was doing all this purely for political gain.

Đelić claimed that, following the LDP’s accusations, he had called the president of the party’s political council, Vesna Pešić, to ask her if she was behind any of this, to which she replied that she was stunned, and that she would be writing a protest note against her party’s actions.

The deputy prime minister said that he had also called Žarko Korać, the president of the LDP’s coalition partner the Social Democratic Union (SDU), on the same subject, who told him that he had nothing to do with the activities of Jovanović’s party.

However, in an SDU statement, Korać said that he entirely supported the LDP’s efforts to get to the bottom of both Delta’s dealings and its position on the Serbian market, regarding the question of whether or not they held a monopoly, and if they were using their economic power and position on the market to unlawfully lean on certain politicians and political parties.

“Nowadays, you really need guts to broach such matters that affect Serbia’s future and her democratic institutions,“ read the SDU statement.

Minister of Economy and Regional Development Mlađan Dinkić announced on Thursday he would also take legal action against Čedomir Jovanović, who made serious accusations against him.

Dinkić said at a news conference that Jovanović's statements that Mišković exerted influence over Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica and some other government members are "complete nonsense" and that "Jovanović is a disgrace for Serbia's politics."

Dinkić said that he would file a private lawsuit because, as he assessed, the LDP leader "has gone to far".

"If you think that anyone can influence (Vojislav) Koštunica over anything, especially regarding the position over Kosovo, then you do not know him well. If you think that someone can influence me, then you do not know me well," Dinkić underscored and added that the only person that had influence over him "was his wife".

"Apparently he kept company so much with people involved in crime that their manners have rubbed off," Dinkić told reporters, and added that he would take legal action because he wanted to defend his honor and reputation and to protect himself from slander.

Slobodan Milosavljević also reacted today and called on Jovanović to say the truth about the crimes he knows about in public, instead of basing his own defense on false accusations.

Milosavljević underscored that Jovanović's "election petty-political fabrications" cannot waver him, announcing that he would show before any court with clear conscience if summoned.

"Čedomir Jovanović's statement in which he accuses me of being a criminal is sick, to say the least, because it indicates an exceptionally serious mental state of a stumbling politician, who is losing control of reality and the traces of a human being left in him, throwing mud on all those that he finds to be his serious political opponents," Milosavljević said in a written statement.

"Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing. I say, Father, forgive him, for he knows not what he is saying," said Milosavljević.

The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) spokesman Andreja Mladenović said today this party will answer Jovanović's question, whether Vojislav Koštunica is ready to exchange Kosovo for a U.S. visa, only after it finds out if the LDP leader's inquiry came as a result of – drug abuse.

"We will answer this if Jovanović agrees to a blood test first, so that we may determine whether he was under the influence of drugs at the time he made the statement," he told Tanjug.

"Only a moral freak under a heavy influence of narcotics can say such a thing," Mladenović added.