Security agencies “created scandals”

B92’s investigators revealed details of how the security agencies in Serbia created scandals to control the situation in Serbia after the democratic changes. The formal and informal secret police centers played a vital role in the long-running dispute between the government, led by Zoran Djindjic, and the cabinet of then President Vojislav Kostunica. Security agencies “created scandals” Such was the atmosphere when Djindjic was assassinated on March 12, 2003. After the democratic changes, when the government started to uncover crimes committed during the 1990s, and when it started arresting war criminals and security service officials, these officials began creating scandals in order to protect themselves. The military and state security were on different sides in 2001. One such scandal was when Kostunica’s cabinet called on the military to break into government headquarters on suspicion that members of the government had been eavesdropping on the president. In June 2001, Chief-of-Staff Nebojsa Pavkovic met with other military top brass to decide whether the order should be carried out. General Aleksandar Vasiljevic was at that meeting. “They asked for the military to carry out the raid. Specifically, Nalic. When he came into the office and said, ‘What! You still haven’t done it?’ And then Pavkovic too: he was good at calling a large number of people together and saying that ‘here we all are, let’s do this operatively’,” Vasiljevic recalled. “Nalic said that the president had ordered it. First, he said that I should inform the president of why I was delaying it, and then he changed his mind, saying that he would tell the president. But then Pavkovic said that he would, which led to an argument, and in the end, Pavkovic told him the next day,” he added. Vasiljevic said that in the end the raid never took place because Pavkovic had been against it, adding, vis-a-vis the eavesdropping claim, that Kostunica had discussed the operation with Deputy Chief-of-Staff Aco Tomic without Pavkovic’s knowledge. Even though the operation never took place, Aco Tomic was promoted by Kostunica, which brought the entire military under the direct control of the president.

Security agencies “created scandals”

Such was the atmosphere when Đinđić was assassinated on March 12, 2003.

After the democratic changes, when the government started to uncover crimes committed during the 1990s, and when it started arresting war criminals and security service officials, these officials began creating scandals in order to protect themselves.

The military and state security were on different sides in 2001.

One such scandal was when Koštunica’s cabinet called on the military to break into government headquarters on suspicion that members of the government had been eavesdropping on the president.

In June 2001, Chief-of-Staff Nebojša Pavković met with other military top brass to decide whether the order should be carried out. General Aleksandar Vasiljević was at that meeting.

“They asked for the military to carry out the raid. Specifically, Nalić. When he came into the office and said, ‘What! You still haven’t done it?’ And then Pavković too: he was good at calling a large number of people together and saying that ‘here we all are, let’s do this operatively’,” Vasiljević recalled.

“Nalić said that the president had ordered it. First, he said that I should inform the president of why I was delaying it, and then he changed his mind, saying that he would tell the president. But then Pavković said that he would, which led to an argument, and in the end, Pavković told him the next day,” he added.

Vasiljević said that in the end the raid never took place because Pavković had been against it, adding, vis-a-vis the eavesdropping claim, that Koštunica had discussed the operation with Deputy Chief-of-Staff Aco Tomić without Pavković’s knowledge.

Even though the operation never took place, Aco Tomić was promoted by Koštunica, which brought the entire military under the direct control of the president.