Politicians can’t decide on Beko, deputy PM says

BELGRADE Not a single politician will say or decide what will happen with businessman Milan Beko, prosecutors will, says First Deputy PM Aleksandar Vucic. Commenting on National Bank of Serbia (NBS) governor Jorgovanka Tabakovic’s statement that “Beko will not go down but people around him”, he said that he did not care if someone was resourceful but if they respected the law or not. Politicians can’t decide on Beko, deputy PM says “Milan Beko was called for an interview yesterday in accordance with a decision of the Bureau and the law, related to several cases of mostly privatizations that are a part of the investigation in 24 cases. There are no secrets here, just like we said, all investigations will be completed and the Prosecution and police are going in the best possible direction,” the first deputy prime minister told B92. He underscored that he was proud that all decisions in the investigations would be made by competent state organs, primarily prosecutors who are authorized to determine if a criminal act had been committed. “We are not going to listen to political parties and nobody will listen to us about how skillful somebody is, who likes whom, if there is evidence or not. It does not concern us if someone managed to hide something, if they are resourceful or not. The only important thing to us is the respect of the law. If the law was respected, it’s fine but if the law was not respected all persons will be tried, including Milan Beko,” Vucic noted. Tabakovic told B92 earlier on Wednesday that Beko knew how to protect himself and that those who “agreed to serve to him and interpret the laws for him” and those “he used as gloves” would go down instead of him. Beko's questioning lasted for six hours on Tuesday at the Criminal Investigations Police Administration HQ in New Belgrade about the privatization of his company Port of Belgrade. B92 has learnt that the questioning should continue in the next several days. He told reporters after the questioning that he had tried to explain to the police and the prosecution “the reasons why an illusion about the alleged illegalities in the secondary privatization of the Port of Belgrade has been created for years”. Commenting on Democratic Party (DS) deputy leader Miodrag Rakic that Serbian and foreign secret services had information about a communication between members of runaway drug lord Darko Saric’s gang and high top officials, Vucic said that he also had some information about it. “Regardless of our political and party differences, I respect Mr. Rakic. I do have certain information about it but I cannot discuss the Saric case with him today, but all connections of anyone that would mean that a crime has been committed in any way will be investigated and proceedings will be launched. No matter who it is. I am convinced that Mr. Rakic and all well-intentioned people in Serbia, except for those who will always be skeptical and think poorly of their political opponents, and I do not think Mr. Rakic is like that, know that we will look into it, investigate and that the public will be informed in due time,” Vucic concluded. Aleksandar Vucic (Beta, file) B92

Politicians can’t decide on Beko, deputy PM says

“Milan Beko was called for an interview yesterday in accordance with a decision of the Bureau and the law, related to several cases of mostly privatizations that are a part of the investigation in 24 cases. There are no secrets here, just like we said, all investigations will be completed and the Prosecution and police are going in the best possible direction,” the first deputy prime minister told B92.

He underscored that he was proud that all decisions in the investigations would be made by competent state organs, primarily prosecutors who are authorized to determine if a criminal act had been committed.

“We are not going to listen to political parties and nobody will listen to us about how skillful somebody is, who likes whom, if there is evidence or not. It does not concern us if someone managed to hide something, if they are resourceful or not. The only important thing to us is the respect of the law. If the law was respected, it’s fine but if the law was not respected all persons will be tried, including Milan Beko,” Vučić noted.

Tabaković told B92 earlier on Wednesday that Beko knew how to protect himself and that those who “agreed to serve to him and interpret the laws for him” and those “he used as gloves” would go down instead of him.

Beko's questioning lasted for six hours on Tuesday at the Criminal Investigations Police Administration HQ in New Belgrade about the privatization of his company Port of Belgrade.

B92 has learnt that the questioning should continue in the next several days.

He told reporters after the questioning that he had tried to explain to the police and the prosecution “the reasons why an illusion about the alleged illegalities in the secondary privatization of the Port of Belgrade has been created for years”.

Commenting on Democratic Party (DS) deputy leader Miodrag Rakić that Serbian and foreign secret services had information about a communication between members of runaway drug lord Darko Šarić’s gang and high top officials, Vučić said that he also had some information about it.

“Regardless of our political and party differences, I respect Mr. Rakić. I do have certain information about it but I cannot discuss the Šarić case with him today, but all connections of anyone that would mean that a crime has been committed in any way will be investigated and proceedings will be launched. No matter who it is. I am convinced that Mr. Rakić and all well-intentioned people in Serbia, except for those who will always be skeptical and think poorly of their political opponents, and I do not think Mr. Rakić is like that, know that we will look into it, investigate and that the public will be informed in due time,” Vučić concluded.