SNS leader again accuses Democrats over "criminal sale"

BELGRADE Aleksandar Vucic has announced an investigation into the circumstances under which 50 percent of the Politika PNM company shares changed owners. He said the probe would take place once Serbia has a new government, and once again accused the Democratic Party (DS), saying the transaction - which he dubbed "a criminal grab" - happened "on direct orders that came from top DS ranks". SNS leader again accuses Democrats over "criminal sale" The acting leader of the Serb Progressives (SNS) - which is set to become Serbia's ruling party - added that he expected the authorities to investigate whether any irregularities occurred during the transaction, and that this investigation will take place "without playing any games or holding back". "Measures will be undertaken," he noted, "after a government has been formed." "Crime will not be tolerated in this country, regardless of which party commits it. The Farmakom company is behind the acquisition of Politika, its general director in Moscow is (Milan) Barisic, his employee is Uros Stefanovic, and this was done on direct orders that came from the top of the Democratic Party," he told reporters in Belgrade on Thursday.. Vucic went on to specify that he had "Boris Tadic and Dusan Petrovic" in mind, while the involvement of others "would be determined". According to him, Farmakom owes between EUR 370 and 380mn to creditors, but was despite this fact taking out loans "from all the banks under the control of the DS". It will not be tolerated, he continued, for the citizens' money to be taken and spent "like it was their own". "The same thing happened to (Vecernje) Novosti," he asserted. "Wait for it to surface on the Business Registers Agency (website). The same people and the same company were conducting the same transaction by selling 50 percent of Novosti's shares. I heard they 'were conducting' it, and I'm afraid they conducted it, but the authorities will investigate that very quickly." The news conference was also attended by Politika's former General Director Darko Ribnikar, whose family founded the newspaper in the early 20th century. Ribnikar said that the transaction was tantamount to "the worst kind of gangster behavior that cannot be justified". Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats (LDP) said that they would seek the forming of a parliamentary committee that would determine the facts related to the transaction, when Germany's WAZ sold its stake in the company to "a mysterious company from Moscow" - i.e., East Media Group. LDP official Zoran Ostojic on Thursday said he was convinced that the Democrats - who are rejecting all accusations leveled against them in the case - will also support the setting up of the committee. Ostojic also noted that it was "interesting" to observe that representatives of the stake in Politika's capital owned by the state were yet to address the issue publicly. Ribnikar and Vucic are seen during the news conference (Tanjug) B92 Beta

SNS leader again accuses Democrats over "criminal sale"

The acting leader of the Serb Progressives (SNS) - which is set to become Serbia's ruling party - added that he expected the authorities to investigate whether any irregularities occurred during the transaction, and that this investigation will take place "without playing any games or holding back".

"Measures will be undertaken," he noted, "after a government has been formed."

"Crime will not be tolerated in this country, regardless of which party commits it. The Farmakom company is behind the acquisition of Politika, its general director in Moscow is (Milan) Barišić, his employee is Uroš Stefanović, and this was done on direct orders that came from the top of the Democratic Party," he told reporters in Belgrade on Thursday..

Vučić went on to specify that he had "Boris Tadić and Dušan Petrović" in mind, while the involvement of others "would be determined".

According to him, Farmakom owes between EUR 370 and 380mn to creditors, but was despite this fact taking out loans "from all the banks under the control of the DS". It will not be tolerated, he continued, for the citizens' money to be taken and spent "like it was their own".

"The same thing happened to (Večernje) Novosti," he asserted. "Wait for it to surface on the Business Registers Agency (website). The same people and the same company were conducting the same transaction by selling 50 percent of Novosti's shares. I heard they 'were conducting' it, and I'm afraid they conducted it, but the authorities will investigate that very quickly."

The news conference was also attended by Politika's former General Director Darko Ribnikar, whose family founded the newspaper in the early 20th century.

Ribnikar said that the transaction was tantamount to "the worst kind of gangster behavior that cannot be justified".

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats (LDP) said that they would seek the forming of a parliamentary committee that would determine the facts related to the transaction, when Germany's WAZ sold its stake in the company to "a mysterious company from Moscow" - i.e., East Media Group.

LDP official Zoran Ostojić on Thursday said he was convinced that the Democrats - who are rejecting all accusations leveled against them in the case - will also support the setting up of the committee.

Ostojić also noted that it was "interesting" to observe that representatives of the stake in Politika's capital owned by the state were yet to address the issue publicly.