The ties of Vuciki and the Serbian government to the mafia?

Mafia clashes have always been seen in Serbia in recent years only as part of organised crime. But in Belgrade there have recently been growing voices in the media and various circles that say the establishment of mafia groups has occurred in close co-operation with Serbia's state leadership. With the arrest of criminal Veljko Belivuk and his group, the role of the Serbian state in protecting certain criminal groups has begun to be revealed. Veljko Belivuk was the leader of the hooligan-Criminal group “Prrincipi”, which worked within the Montenegrin Kavac clan. An indictment has already been filed against this group in which the group is blamed for five murders, kidnappings, torture and rape of a person. This group is also accused of illegal drug trafficking and possession. The very disturbing details of the killings of their opponents, among other things, the ax killings and the grinding of human flesh, have flooded Serbian media in recent weeks.

The Mafia Role of Power

Veljko Belivuk and his right hand, Marko Miljevic, in their statements to the prosecutor, have also strongly accused some of Serbia's state leaders. Belivuk in his pre-proposal statement claims, he has personally met with Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, in an apartment in the Ziesdara neighbourhood in Belgrade. Belivuk claims that Vuciqi and his associates from the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) have sought different services from them.

These services involved preventing calls to the stadiums against Serbia's president, Vuciq (then at the stadium cheered some groups that Vuciqi is gay), fearing protests organisers against Serbia's authorities, with the assurance of calm at the Belgrade Parade of Crenare, but also with the influence of this group on taxiists in Belgrade to give up anti-port software protests “CarGo” Prime Minister Anna Brnabyq). Of course it is not known, which exactly was the government's presentation of these services of this criminal group, but it is said compensation may have been no preventing drug trafficking, securing clubs, their lucrative businesses with the state, their logistical support, as well as their support from the police and trial in cases of conflict with the law.

Otherwise, Bellivuk has told the prosecutor that he was a member of the SNS (President Vuciq) party since 2011. The list of government officials, who in various ways have been linked to supporting this criminal group goes practically up to the cream of the ruling SNS party, and they are: Aleksandar Vulin, Police Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic, Defence Minister Diana Hrkalovic, former secretary of state at Serbia's Interior Ministry, Darko Glisic, chairman of SNS Executive Council and Novak Nedic, secretary general Government of Serbia. But investigators have not officially dealt with the links of this criminal group to politics and police.

Bozo Prelevic: „This is a regional and European problem”

The testimony of two criminals has set in motion the regime's propaganda machine in Serbia. All propaganda is directed against opposition, wealthy people in Serbia and foreign embassies, who are accused of allegedly trying to overthrow President Aleksandar Vuciq's power in Serbia. These circles say, that accused criminals can lie in defense, which can certainly be true, but as the lawyer and MP Bozo Prelevic say about Deutsche Welle, these claims have no logic and make their situation worse. They would do well to say that all their criminal acts have informed the opposition and that they have taken duties from the opposition (not power)”, Prelevic says, in a statement to DW.

Serbian hooligans at stadium

High attention in Serbia has awakened a text published in the French newspaper “Le Monde”, which writes among other things, that organised “crime has penetrated into the heart of the state system in Serbia and Montenegro”. Journal “Le Monde” writes further that “criminal groups from Montenegro and Serbia have participated in the South America-born drug trade, which has been transported across Europe, all done in co-operation with the official authorities of power”. The text particularly highlights “the brother of Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq (Andrej Vuciq) in Belgrade, as well as the brother of Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic (Aca Djukanovic) in Podgorica”, as well as the fact that Serbian President Danilo Vuciq's “son, has often been seen in the company of these hooligans”.

The situation is becoming extremely unpleasant for the government, Prelevic claims, and adds that the whole relationship is no longer Serbia's only problem: “This is now a regional and European problem, and this problem cannot be solved now by Serbia alone. The question now posed is: if someone promises to sign a legally binding agreement with Kosovo, does this mean that this person is able to completely destroy his country even after a few years. And is it possible that European institutions, which have very accurate reports about these things, could perhaps close their eyes to these things and forgive them”, Prelevic asks.

Unstable situation required answers

Now a thorough investigation into the claims of the members of the Bellivuk group is necessary, so that it can be accurate if there really are truths in claims that some criminal groups have had the support of the highest authorities, says DW Slobodan Georgiev, programme director of “News Adria”.

This situation is unstable and some answers must now be given. I think people in the police and the prosecutor know a lot about these things, while even the movements of the president of Serbia can easily be determined. I think it would be very useful and healing for the situation, if it were defined the clear background of the creation of this group as well as the way this group of fans were turned into an organized criminal group. And determine who has helped this group from government and power”, Georgiev says.

Slobodan Georgiev says the regime's media campaign for power laundering is expected, because as he says, “when you control the major media, you can go around and tell your version of the truth”. And on the other hand, the state budget is in your hands, and you can pay others to propagan “.

Regime media and their financing

As for the dilemma, whether this relative will politically harm the current authorities in Serbia, or power will manage to absorb this relationship, Georgiev underlines that Vuciqi's <x0-voltors do not see or hear anything else. They just see that someone is attacking Vucinqi and accusing him of terrible things. While Vuchy is viewed as a good man who gives money and jobs to everyone. That's why the media even here are the most important thing, because in these media you can't read and see anything other than Vuciki's moaning, which goes around and says someone is going to destroy it while for themselves claims he's willing to go to polygraph and prove the truth”, Georgiev points out.

Lawyer Bozo Prelevic agrees that the SNS can no longer convince its membership, that this party is not linked to serious criminal groups. The new elections will be coming soon and that this proximity will not be easily stopped and overcome. The trial and protection of the accused have not yet begun, so I believe that FBI information will be released and that widespread opinion will be recognized with them in Serbia. But these European politicians will get to know each other and see what the problem we're facing here is”.

But as long as Vucinqi shows a servile, especially to Americans, nothing will change, Slobodan Georgiev believes.

“Vukiqi is a man of obedience, and as long as it continues to be, I don't think there will be any problems for him. Things can only change if Vuciqi changes his position, or if someone decides to tell us a few things, as has once happened in Macedonia, where he sees that Vuciqi and the people around him may be linked to organised crime”, concludes the director of “News Adria”./Deutsche Welle/