Police unhappy after prosecution fails to detain ex-minister

BELGRADE First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has met and given his support to the Serbian police (MUP) officers working on corruption cases. The meeting came after a number of voiced their dissatisfaction with a decision of the Special Organize Crime Prosecution. Police unhappy after prosecution fails to detain ex-minister The prosecution on Tuesday took the statement of former government minister Oliver Dulic, and decided not to hold him in custody. Vucic and Police Director Milorad Veljovic met with the dissatisfied police operatives, telling them at the same time that there would be "no political pressure on either the prosecution or the police". Speaking ahead of the meeting today, Vucic said the policemen in question worked on controversial privatization cases, and for that reason, they were "under the impression that they are being hampered - which is what is in fact causing their reaction." He added that the differences between the police and the Organized Crime Prosecution existed before. After he met and spoke with the officers, Vucic explained that they "all of a sudden found themselves under-appreciated", but added that "nobody has the right to exert pressure on the prosecution". "However, the work of the police will also have to be respected, and nobody is disparaging its work," the minister was quoted as saying. Veljovic also sought to defuse the tension and said that no pressure was, nor would be applied on the police, expressing at the same time his confidence that they would "remain dignified and not interfere with the work of the prosecution". Special Prosecutor Miljko Radisavljevic reacted to the controversy in a statement made for the Belgrade-based daily Politika, when he said that he was "not informed that MUP inspectors working on the Dulic case were protesting and demanding that he be sacked". "I have no such information, and even if I did, I would not comment on it," Radisavljevic said, and added he was guided by the evidence in the case, rather than by the behind-the-scenes speculation. On Wednesday morning, Aleksandar Vucic told reporters during a briefing that he expected "more results" in corruption investigations, and stressed that "some people close to him" were also the subject of the probes. The minister specified that "four or five more cases in the fight against organized crime and corruption will be launched in November". “The fight against corruption and crime will be continued and nobody will be protected if evidence points to something vital against them, regardless of which function they may hold. One person close to me will also be under investigation,” said the deputy prime minister. The public "should not be surprised" if some well-known figures crop up in those investigations, according to Vucic, who repeated that "nobody will be protected in the fight against corruption". Aleksandar Vucic, Milorad Veljovic (Tanjug) B92 Beta Tanjug

Police unhappy after prosecution fails to detain ex-minister

The prosecution on Tuesday took the statement of former government minister Oliver Dulić, and decided not to hold him in custody.

Vučić and Police Director Milorad Veljović met with the dissatisfied police operatives, telling them at the same time that there would be "no political pressure on either the prosecution or the police".

Speaking ahead of the meeting today, Vučić said the policemen in question worked on controversial privatization cases, and for that reason, they were "under the impression that they are being hampered - which is what is in fact causing their reaction."

He added that the differences between the police and the Organized Crime Prosecution existed before.

After he met and spoke with the officers, Vučić explained that they "all of a sudden found themselves under-appreciated", but added that "nobody has the right to exert pressure on the prosecution".

"However, the work of the police will also have to be respected, and nobody is disparaging its work," the minister was quoted as saying.

Veljović also sought to defuse the tension and said that no pressure was, nor would be applied on the police, expressing at the same time his confidence that they would "remain dignified and not interfere with the work of the prosecution".

Special Prosecutor Miljko Radisavljević reacted to the controversy in a statement made for the Belgrade-based daily Politika, when he said that he was "not informed that MUP inspectors working on the Dulić case were protesting and demanding that he be sacked".

"I have no such information, and even if I did, I would not comment on it," Radisavljević said, and added he was guided by the evidence in the case, rather than by the behind-the-scenes speculation.

On Wednesday morning, Aleksandar Vučić told reporters during a briefing that he expected "more results" in corruption investigations, and stressed that "some people close to him" were also the subject of the probes.

The minister specified that "four or five more cases in the fight against organized crime and corruption will be launched in November".

“The fight against corruption and crime will be continued and nobody will be protected if evidence points to something vital against them, regardless of which function they may hold. One person close to me will also be under investigation,” said the deputy prime minister.

The public "should not be surprised" if some well-known figures crop up in those investigations, according to Vučić, who repeated that "nobody will be protected in the fight against corruption".