Dačić doesn't rule out resignation

Ivica Dacic says he will not "shy away" from resigning if speculation about alleged ties between his associates and the Saric brothers turn out to be true. Dacic is first deputy PM and interior minister in the current Serbian government. Darko Saric, his brother and their crime group are suspected of attempting to smuggle more than two tons of cocaine from South America to Europe. Dacic doesn't rule out resignation Saric, a Montenegrin, received Serbian citizenship in 2005 and is currently a fugitive from justice. Shortly before fleeing he asked for the citizenship decision to be revoked, but Dacic told Belgrade daily Vecernje Novosti that this request will not be granted. The reason for this, he explained, is that there is an ongoing investigation, and added that the government in Montenegro can protect Saric by registering him in its citizenship records, "as they have done before". "If they do that, it will be a clear signal for this investigation," said Dacic. In the past several week, media in Serbia reported that members of the family of Dacic's cabinet chief, Branko Lazarevic, had business ties with Saric. "No individual can be placed above police. I have already ordered these allegations to be examined. My position is that there will be no place in MUP (Serbian police and interior ministry) for those who were involved in crime, regardless of the office they occupy," the minister said. Dacic also commented on Montenegrin PM Milo Djukanovic's statement that "someone from Serbia deliberately released the warrant story in order to signal to the Sarics to take care of themselves", and said that many suspects had been arrested before the investigation reached Saric, rendering "that kind of information" impossible to hide. "This is rather a case of deflection of responsibility to Serbia, to distract from how that investigation is being handled in Montenegro. The two countries must cooperate on this case," the minister said. Saric has so far twice avoided arrest, once in Paris, and another time in Vienna, and Dacic said that "when it comes to arrests abroad, information could not have leaked from MUP". "Since this was about arrests in a foreign state, everything went via the Special Prosecution that is conducting the investigation. When it comes to the MUP operations, only myself and a narrow circle of people are informed," said Dacic. Ivica Dacic (Tanjug, file)

Dačić doesn't rule out resignation

Šarić, a Montenegrin, received Serbian citizenship in 2005 and is currently a fugitive from justice. Shortly before fleeing he asked for the citizenship decision to be revoked, but Dačić told Belgrade daily Večernje Novosti that this request will not be granted.

The reason for this, he explained, is that there is an ongoing investigation, and added that the government in Montenegro can protect Šarić by registering him in its citizenship records, "as they have done before".

"If they do that, it will be a clear signal for this investigation," said Dačić.

In the past several week, media in Serbia reported that members of the family of Dačić's cabinet chief, Branko Lazarević, had business ties with Šarić.

"No individual can be placed above police. I have already ordered these allegations to be examined. My position is that there will be no place in MUP (Serbian police and interior ministry) for those who were involved in crime, regardless of the office they occupy," the minister said.

Dačić also commented on Montenegrin PM Milo Đukanović's statement that "someone from Serbia deliberately released the warrant story in order to signal to the Šarićs to take care of themselves", and said that many suspects had been arrested before the investigation reached Šarić, rendering "that kind of information" impossible to hide.

"This is rather a case of deflection of responsibility to Serbia, to distract from how that investigation is being handled in Montenegro. The two countries must cooperate on this case," the minister said.

Šarić has so far twice avoided arrest, once in Paris, and another time in Vienna, and Dačić said that "when it comes to arrests abroad, information could not have leaked from MUP".

"Since this was about arrests in a foreign state, everything went via the Special Prosecution that is conducting the investigation. When it comes to the MUP operations, only myself and a narrow circle of people are informed," said Dačić.