Former Đukanović adviser “fears for his life”

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic’s former adviser, Ratko Knezevic, says that he fears for his life. Knezevic has accused Djukanovic of being involved in cigarette smuggling activities during the 1990s. Former Djukanovic adviser “fears for his life” In an interview with Podgorica daily Vijesti, Knezevic, who lives in London and has dual British and Croatian citizenship, said that, after this interview, the “cabinet of death will be meeting” as it has many times before. He claimed that he had also been warned of the danger he was in by Croatian security services. Knezevic said he had informed Djukanovic of the countless death threats he had been receiving from the Montenegrin prime minister’s friends by letter in February 2001, singling out Serbian crime baron Stanko Subotic. Knezevic said that he had also given a copy of this letter to the FBI, and to the security services in those countries whose citizenship he had, as well as to countries he travelled to and worked in regularly. He said that one copy had been given to former U.S. ambassador in Belgrade, William Montgomery, who had fixed him “a briefing regarding my security with American experts in the U.S. embassy in Zagreb.” Speaking of the danger Croatian journalist Ivo Pukanic had been in, Knezevic said that his murder had “proven” this danger, and that he had died “as a victim of his trade, his pen, his courage and the courage of his journalists.” “His life was ‘a chronicle of looming death’ since he stopped the strongest Mafia organization in the Balkans in the 20th century with his writing,” Knezevic said. He said that he was convinced that, had it not been for Pukanic, the “tobacco cartel” would be ruling not only Montenegro today, but also Serbia and Croatia. Knezevic claims that Djukanovic had intentionally “replaced” Prime Minister Zeljko Sturanovic in order to return to the post, as that had been the only way to receive political immunity from an Italian indictment for involvement in the cigarette smuggling racket and ensure that that file returned to the archives. As far as the Hague Tribunal was concerned, Knezevic called on Djukanovic to state how much money he had spent to hush up “his responsibility” for the attacks on Dubrovnik by Montenegrin police forces. To that end, he claimed, Djukanovic had personally hired film director Veljko Buljajic, who had spent years visiting the Croatian authorities to persuade them to stop hounding Djukanovic, Knezevic said.

Former Đukanović adviser “fears for his life”

In an interview with Podgorica daily Vijesti, Knežević, who lives in London and has dual British and Croatian citizenship, said that, after this interview, the “cabinet of death will be meeting” as it has many times before.

He claimed that he had also been warned of the danger he was in by Croatian security services.

Knežević said he had informed Đukanović of the countless death threats he had been receiving from the Montenegrin prime minister’s friends by letter in February 2001, singling out Serbian crime baron Stanko Subotić.

Knežević said that he had also given a copy of this letter to the FBI, and to the security services in those countries whose citizenship he had, as well as to countries he travelled to and worked in regularly.

He said that one copy had been given to former U.S. ambassador in Belgrade, William Montgomery, who had fixed him “a briefing regarding my security with American experts in the U.S. embassy in Zagreb.”

Speaking of the danger Croatian journalist Ivo Pukanić had been in, Knežević said that his murder had “proven” this danger, and that he had died “as a victim of his trade, his pen, his courage and the courage of his journalists.”

“His life was ‘a chronicle of looming death’ since he stopped the strongest Mafia organization in the Balkans in the 20th century with his writing,” Knežević said.

He said that he was convinced that, had it not been for Pukanić, the “tobacco cartel” would be ruling not only Montenegro today, but also Serbia and Croatia.

Knežević claims that Đukanović had intentionally “replaced” Prime Minister Željko Šturanović in order to return to the post, as that had been the only way to receive political immunity from an Italian indictment for involvement in the cigarette smuggling racket and ensure that that file returned to the archives.

As far as the Hague Tribunal was concerned, Knežević called on Đukanović to state how much money he had spent to hush up “his responsibility” for the attacks on Dubrovnik by Montenegrin police forces.

To that end, he claimed, Đukanović had personally hired film director Veljko Buljajić, who had spent years visiting the Croatian authorities to persuade them to stop hounding Đukanović, Knežević said.