Delta owner witness in Port of Belgrade case

BELGRADE Delta Holding owner Miroslav Miskovic has said that the takeover of Port of Belgrade shares by Milan Beko's company was in the interest of the city and Serbia. Miskovic gave his statement on Friday as a witness in the investigation against former cabinet Minister Predrag Bubalo and his associates. Delta owner witness in Port of Belgrade case Testifying behind closed doors at the Prosecution for Organized Crime, Miskovic said he acted as a financial investor - "not only in his own interest, but in the interest of the City of Belgrade and Serbia," said Bubalo's lawyer Zoran Ateljevic, who was present during the hearing. According to him, Miskovic has also stated that he believed that the Port of Belgrade company should have been elevated to a higher level "in the organizational, financial and economic sense." The Delta Holding owner, who is currently on trial himself in a separate corruption case, "even said that this procedure would not have happened if the investor was not a domestic businessman." Miskovic and his son Marko in February this year answered questions in connection to the privatization of Port of Belgrade (Luka Beograd), as part of the pre-trial proceedings. The Port of Belgrade case is one of the items on the list of the 24 controversial privatizations. Milan Beko took over the company in 2004 and 2005. Miskovic and Beko were initially together in business both in the Port of Belgrade and the retail chain C-market, but Miskovic later withdrew from Port of Belgrade, a Beko from C-market. Bubalo was arrested on June 14 along with seven associates on suspicion of abusing his official position during the sale of the state-owned shares in the company, which the prosecution believes incurred damages of more than EUR 5.7 million to the state. (Tanjug) Tanjug

Delta owner witness in Port of Belgrade case

Testifying behind closed doors at the Prosecution for Organized Crime, Mišković said he acted as a financial investor - "not only in his own interest, but in the interest of the City of Belgrade and Serbia," said Bubalo's lawyer Zoran Ateljević, who was present during the hearing.

According to him, Mišković has also stated that he believed that the Port of Belgrade company should have been elevated to a higher level "in the organizational, financial and economic sense."

The Delta Holding owner, who is currently on trial himself in a separate corruption case, "even said that this procedure would not have happened if the investor was not a domestic businessman."

Mišković and his son Marko in February this year answered questions in connection to the privatization of Port of Belgrade (Luka Beograd), as part of the pre-trial proceedings.

The Port of Belgrade case is one of the items on the list of the 24 controversial privatizations. Milan Beko took over the company in 2004 and 2005.

Mišković and Beko were initially together in business both in the Port of Belgrade and the retail chain C-market, but Mišković later withdrew from Port of Belgrade, a Beko from C-market.

Bubalo was arrested on June 14 along with seven associates on suspicion of abusing his official position during the sale of the state-owned shares in the company, which the prosecution believes incurred damages of more than EUR 5.7 million to the state.