Indicted ex-minister points finger at Dinkić

Former Serbia-Montenegro Defense Minister Prvoslav Davinic has once again denied being responsible for Serbia's lost lawsuit in the so-called Satellite Affair. The country will have to pay close to EUR 37mn in damages for not honoring a contract to lease a satellite from Israel's ImageSat. Indicted ex-minister points finger at Dinkic Davinic addressed a news conference in Belgrade today, after he was indicted in the case earlier this week. He said that in 2005, he signed a draft contract which was supposed to serve as a basis for further negotiations, rather that the contract which was legally binding. Davinic, himself elected to office on G17 Plus party ticket, accused then and now cabinet minister and party leader Mladjan Dinkic of being responsible for the lawsuit lost in international arbitration, and said that he had filed criminal charges against Dinkic, Professor Stevan Lilic and Verica Kalanovic, who is a minister in the current Serbian government. Davinic said that he considered those three responsible for the affair, and pointed out that the evidence he had submitted to the prosecution was such that their role “needed to be completely investigated and the degree of responsibility determined“. He pointed out that he expected a long trial, adding that he was taking the indictment for abuse of official position against him very seriously and that it was why he did not intend to give any statements before the main hearing. Davinic also noted that he was yet to receive a copy of the indictment. In the charges he filed against Dinkic, Lilic and Kalanovic, the former minister accuses them of overstepping the boundaries of their authority in various manners, which “makes them directly responsible for the lost lawsuit”. Davinic, right, addresses reporters in Belgrade today (Beta)

Indicted ex-minister points finger at Dinkić

Davinić addressed a news conference in Belgrade today, after he was indicted in the case earlier this week.

He said that in 2005, he signed a draft contract which was supposed to serve as a basis for further negotiations, rather that the contract which was legally binding.

Davinić, himself elected to office on G17 Plus party ticket, accused then and now cabinet minister and party leader Mlađan Dinkić of being responsible for the lawsuit lost in international arbitration, and said that he had filed criminal charges against Dinkić, Professor Stevan Lilić and Verica Kalanović, who is a minister in the current Serbian government.

Davinić said that he considered those three responsible for the affair, and pointed out that the evidence he had submitted to the prosecution was such that their role “needed to be completely investigated and the degree of responsibility determined“.

He pointed out that he expected a long trial, adding that he was taking the indictment for abuse of official position against him very seriously and that it was why he did not intend to give any statements before the main hearing. Davinić also noted that he was yet to receive a copy of the indictment.

In the charges he filed against Dinkić, Lilić and Kalanović, the former minister accuses them of overstepping the boundaries of their authority in various manners, which “makes them directly responsible for the lost lawsuit”.