WAZ makes public contract with daily’s director

German WAZ Media Group has sent a copy to B92 of a contract it had with Vecernje Novosti daily Director Manojlo Vukotic. According to the contract, they are supposed to pay EUR 75,000, Vukotic and another EUR 500,000 after their business was complete. WAZ makes public contract with daily’s director The contract on consulting services was signed in 2002. WAZ was bound by contract to pay EUR 75,000 to the daily's director and editor-in-chief for all activities he was performing a year before the signing of the contract. The contract further reads that the consultant will receive a fee not higher than EUR 500,000 upon final completion of all journalistic and distribution projects which should be precisely defined between the contracting parties. The German company states in the contract that cooperation with Vukotic would be continued by either a new contract or an annex to the existing one, in the case of WAZ's successful taking over "of all desired projects in the territory of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Srpska". The explanation of the consulting contract reads that Vukotic was hired primarily as a general director and editor-in-chief of the newspaper with the highest circulation in Serbia –Vecernje Novosti. The contract was signed by Vukotic and Bodo Hombach, on behalf of WAZ, on May 10, 2003. In his reaction, Vukotic wrote an open letter on Tuesday, confirming that he had signed the contract, but denying WAZ's allegation that he was supposed to deal with his daily's sale. "Mr. Hombach, the contract – (contrary to) what you made up – does not mention Vecernje Novosti, its sale, mediation, or anything related to it. You are now rambling on about having to pay me half a million euros for me to mediate in the sale of Novosti. Aggressive Mr. Pact, (reference to Hombach's role in the Southeastern Europe Stability Pact) I did not discuss that. I did not take the money. I escaped your trap and left you your money," writes Vukotic.

WAZ makes public contract with daily’s director

The contract on consulting services was signed in 2002. WAZ was bound by contract to pay EUR 75,000 to the daily's director and editor-in-chief for all activities he was performing a year before the signing of the contract.

The contract further reads that the consultant will receive a fee not higher than EUR 500,000 upon final completion of all journalistic and distribution projects which should be precisely defined between the contracting parties.

The German company states in the contract that cooperation with Vukotić would be continued by either a new contract or an annex to the existing one, in the case of WAZ's successful taking over "of all desired projects in the territory of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Srpska".

The explanation of the consulting contract reads that Vukotić was hired primarily as a general director and editor-in-chief of the newspaper with the highest circulation in Serbia –Večernje Novosti.

The contract was signed by Vukotić and Bodo Hombach, on behalf of WAZ, on May 10, 2003.

In his reaction, Vukotić wrote an open letter on Tuesday, confirming that he had signed the contract, but denying WAZ's allegation that he was supposed to deal with his daily's sale.

"Mr. Hombach, the contract – (contrary to) what you made up – does not mention Večernje Novosti, its sale, mediation, or anything related to it. You are now rambling on about having to pay me half a million euros for me to mediate in the sale of Novosti. Aggressive Mr. Pact, (reference to Hombach's role in the Southeastern Europe Stability Pact) I did not discuss that. I did not take the money. I escaped your trap and left you your money," writes Vukotić.