Police director "to investigate wiretapping"

BELGRADE Serbian Police Director Milorad Veljovic has spoken for the media to say that he would this Monday "cut short his sick leave" over the wiretapping affair. Veljovic, who also confirmed he would seek another mandate in his present job, said he would conduct the investigation into the alleged tapping of the phones of President Tomislav Nikolic and First Deputy PM Aleksandar Vucic. Police director "to investigate wiretapping" Speaking for the Belgrade-based daily Danas, he said that he "did not wish to comment on the case" until he had learned all the details. Veljovic also would not comment on PM and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic's statements about the work of the police. Speaking for the Belgrade-based tabloid Blic, Veljovic stated that "there is and there was no wiretapping", and that "seeking a list of phone calls and listening in on someone's telephone communication are two different things". The newspaper writes that a report is expected on Monday from Telekom Srbija on "who signed the official answer on who signed the wiretapping order". The same article goes on to say that the police sent its internal control officers to the state-owned telecommunications company on Friday, and that they "took over the investigation". A source told the daily that Vucic was informed that the head of the criminal investigations police, Rodoljub Milovic, had sent the order to Telekom requesting lists of phone calls. Vucic on Friday accused Milovic of "signing the order to wiretap him, that is, to obtain a list of calls related to his phone number". Vucic was also quoted as saying in the media that "someone was asking for a list of people" that he and Nikolic had conversations with, and that this list could also have indicated their movements - as phone operators' lists showed their movements and coordinates "via base stations". On Sunday, Vucic said the "wiretapping" was discovered two months ago, but that it had in the meantime been "halted". Belgrade-based tabloid Kurir is writing that the "interception of calls" ended two days after it published a report about "the war between Vucic and businessman Miroslav Miskovic". Speaking for Prva TV, Vucic addressed the same subject: "At least one, and perhaps even three cases of privatizations that the EU wants reexamined involve Delta (Holding) owner Miroslav Miskovic. Neither Miskovic, nor his political patrons, nor anyone else can prevent the processes in the fight against corruption. Do you think I will one of these days sit down with Miskovic and say, 'Look, mate, give this much money, and we'll put our conflict behind us'. I'm telling you right now, that's not how it will end." In the meantime, Kurir claims that Vucic also learned that SBPOK chief Bata Djurovic was "nvolved in the wiretapping, adding that there was still "no 100 percent proof, because there are no papers", but that "everything points to him". An unnamed source "from the top of the government" was also quoted by the tabloid as asking, "do you think it's a coincidence that he (Djurovic) went on vacation now when this affair was discovered." Previously, some media mentioned Djurovic as "a school friend" of suspected drug lord and fugitive Darko Saric, and claimed that his name was "on the famous list of passengers to Turkey that Saric paid for". "Of course, the list was published, but according to some information, the only name that was stricken through was Djurovic's," a source was quoted by Kurir. The daily further said that the same source told them that "a former MUP officer, now working for BIA, was being mentioned in this affair". However, the officer's name, while "known to the editorial staff", was not published. Milorad Veljovic (Tanjug, file) B92 Beta Blic Kurir, Danas

Police director "to investigate wiretapping"

Speaking for the Belgrade-based daily Danas, he said that he "did not wish to comment on the case" until he had learned all the details. Veljović also would not comment on PM and Interior Minister Ivica Dačić's statements about the work of the police.

Speaking for the Belgrade-based tabloid Blic, Veljović stated that "there is and there was no wiretapping", and that "seeking a list of phone calls and listening in on someone's telephone communication are two different things".

The newspaper writes that a report is expected on Monday from Telekom Srbija on "who signed the official answer on who signed the wiretapping order". The same article goes on to say that the police sent its internal control officers to the state-owned telecommunications company on Friday, and that they "took over the investigation".

A source told the daily that Vučić was informed that the head of the criminal investigations police, Rodoljub Milović, had sent the order to Telekom requesting lists of phone calls. Vučić on Friday accused Milović of "signing the order to wiretap him, that is, to obtain a list of calls related to his phone number".

Vučić was also quoted as saying in the media that "someone was asking for a list of people" that he and Nikolić had conversations with, and that this list could also have indicated their movements - as phone operators' lists showed their movements and coordinates "via base stations".

On Sunday, Vučić said the "wiretapping" was discovered two months ago, but that it had in the meantime been "halted".

Belgrade-based tabloid Kurir is writing that the "interception of calls" ended two days after it published a report about "the war between Vučić and businessman Miroslav Mišković".

Speaking for Prva TV, Vučić addressed the same subject:

"At least one, and perhaps even three cases of privatizations that the EU wants reexamined involve Delta (Holding) owner Miroslav Mišković. Neither Mišković, nor his political patrons, nor anyone else can prevent the processes in the fight against corruption. Do you think I will one of these days sit down with Mišković and say, 'Look, mate, give this much money, and we'll put our conflict behind us'. I'm telling you right now, that's not how it will end."

In the meantime, Kurir claims that Vučić also learned that SBPOK chief Bata Đurović was "nvolved in the wiretapping, adding that there was still "no 100 percent proof, because there are no papers", but that "everything points to him".

An unnamed source "from the top of the government" was also quoted by the tabloid as asking, "do you think it's a coincidence that he (Đurović) went on vacation now when this affair was discovered."

Previously, some media mentioned Đurović as "a school friend" of suspected drug lord and fugitive Darko Šarić, and claimed that his name was "on the famous list of passengers to Turkey that Šarić paid for".

"Of course, the list was published, but according to some information, the only name that was stricken through was Đurović's," a source was quoted by Kurir.

The daily further said that the same source told them that "a former MUP officer, now working for BIA, was being mentioned in this affair". However, the officer's name, while "known to the editorial staff", was not published.