Du?ko Kne?evi?: “I caused a political earthquake in Montenegro”
Interview in the new edition of the weekly “Ekspres“ by Dragana Todorovi?
We have talked with the businessman and the Chairman of “Atlas Group”, Du?ko Kne?evi?, PhD, about the political turmoil in Montenegro, the custody accounts of Milo ?ukanovi?, and who protects the longest-serving ruler in this area, who entered politics during communist Yugoslavia and is the only survivor on the scene of all important comrades from the League of Communists, whose member was Slobodan Milo?evi?, about “cocaine bananas”, but also about what is crucial for business success on an international scale that he has achieved.
It has been almost a year and a half since Milo ?ukanovi? and the DPS were defeated in the elections in Montenegro. How much longer shall it take to return to your country from the UK, where you are staying now?
“Three years have passed since the beginning of my persecution in Montenegro. It all started with the arrest of the ‘Atlas Group’ driver in the fall of 2017 for alleged ‘money laundering’. Then, Special Prosecutor Milivoje Katni? put pressure on me to admit that the money was for the Democratic Front to drag me into political waters and witness the “coup d’etat”, which I, of course, categorically refused. Aware that my political elimination was being prepared, and a hellish plan of the criminalized government for false indictments against me for several fabricated crimes, through their extended hand, their henchman Milivoj Katni?, and unhidden intentions to brutally steal my property created for decades, I decided to take refuge in London, since I have British citizenship.
Milo ?ukanovi? and his brother Aco, as well as the criminalized structures around them, are the ones who ordered my persecution. After some disagreements, ?ukanovi? decided to launch his octopus and destroy the Atlas Group through the special prosecutor, the commercial court, and the central bank, declaring me a criminal and arresting me to obtain the property I had been creating for 30 years. They destroyed two banks, intending to strengthen his empire and his family and take over the assets of the Atlas Group through criminal clans. I decided to uncompromisingly confront ?ukanovi?. I caused a political earthquake in Montenegro by presenting numerous of his misdeeds - from the “Envelope” scandal, where the racketeering by Milo ?ukanovi? and the DPS is visible, then “The First Million”, “Custody Account”, to “Nobody’s House”. It was a strong wind at the back of the opposition before the parliamentary elections on August 30, 2020, to finally overthrow the corrupt regime of Milo ?ukanovi?.
After the historic victory, members of the new government thanked me for my great help in overthrowing the DPS and Milo ?ukanovi?. They are well aware that, in addition to revealing numerous criminal scandals of the regime, I have also worked intensively on the international promotion of the then opposition in the fight against the arrogant ?ukanovi?. My British team has been to Montenegro several times, preparing interviews with the most influential people in the church and the opposition, broadcast by foreign media.
In August 2020, Interpol revoked all three red notices against me, issued at the request of Montenegro, with the explanation that these accusations had a “predominantly political dimension”. With the arrival of freedom, I wished that I would come to Montenegro and prove my innocence before the court, and at the same time testify before the parliamentary inquiry committee and present evidence of serious corruption and criminal scandals of Milo ?ukanovi?. I relied on the promises of the new Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapi? that he would make an effort to provide me with fair and honest conditions for the trial in Montenegro. Unfortunately, he did not fulfil any of the promises. I’m not thinking about coming back at the moment.”
The key to the outcome is obviously in the hands of special prosecutor Milivoje Katni?, who will never be replaced. The current government has made several moves, suggesting that the time is near, but new political turmoil has again delayed Katni?’s removal. Does that mean that he is still under the protection of Milo ?ukanovi??
“Although changes to the Prosecutorial Council have been made recently, Montenegro is not yet a free country. Until Milivoje Katni? and the criminal team around him are removed from the prosecutor’s office, I will not trust the Montenegrin prosecutor’s office, as I am a witness that this is a state institution whose main task is to protect the affairs of Milo ?ukanovi? and his family. Katni? has repeatedly proved that he is an outpost of the political-mafia group headed by the ‘closest family members’. The special prosecutor has a ‘special task’ - to protect his ‘employer’. This is confirmed by the fact that my legal team filed several criminal charges against the outgoing President of Montenegro, that the competent prosecutor’s offices did not act on those charges, and the suspect Milo ?ukanovi? was not questioned in any proceedings. “
Do you bring such behaviour of the special prosecutor Milivoje Katni? in direct connection with the opening of the custody account of Milo ?ukanovi??
“I have no illusions that Milivoje Katni? is allowed to open that custody account. More precisely, as long as Katni? is in Milo’s ‘special prosecutor’ position, the main actors in the big scandals will not be adequately prosecuted. We are all well aware of the reason: Milivoje Katni? is a member of Milo ?ukanovi?’s criminal clan. And it is easy to prove all the illegal actions of the “clan leader” Milo ?ukanovi? because all the evidence and documentation are with the banks and brokerage houses in Montenegro, which now no one is allowed to open. “
What are these bills hiding? Will the public be surprised, and is this the last nail in Milo ?ukanovi?’s political coffin?
“Presenting details about Milo ?ukanovi?’s ‘first million’ and his custody account, I caused an earthquake in Montenegro. As I announced, in 2007, he took a million and a half from Piraeus Bank in London. We proposed to the prosecution to open ?ukanovic’s custody account. It is, by definition, an account with a broker or custodian bank used for stock trading where the owner of the custody account does not want the transaction to be public. Milo ?ukanovi? did all that so that the purchase and sale of shares of the ‘family’ Prva banka would not go public. That is how the transaction was secretly done, from which he “earned” a lot of money. Opening a custody account would show a fictitious transaction and a trace of that money to the people who enabled him to earn five to six million euros in this “business” and use that money to build a “nobody’s house”, a palace near Gorica, in the elite part of Podgorica. The new government did not have the political will to end the affair that has intrigued the Montenegrin public for a long time. It is crucial to find out who is behind the custody account of Milo ?ukanovi? for the sale of Prva banka shares, who were the persons involved in those transactions on the stock exchange and whether ?ukanovi?, as a public official, reported all revenues. At the same time, they would find out how to launder money through Prva banka. “
Who protects Milo ?ukanovi? - some great powers, foreign embassies or, perhaps, his manipulative skills, partners in big business?
“Milo ?ukanovi? had a solid international position, especially with the Western allies, especially when he overthrew Slobodan Milo?evi?. Those old merits had been used for a long time. ?ukanovi? skilfully materialized it through cigarettes and narcotics smuggling. He used those manipulative skills by introducing Montenegro into the NATO alliance. At this moment, he has no protection, except for the drug cartels from Latin America. “
What are your predictions about whether the current government will fall, and what would you say is a better solution - a minority or technical government?
“I believe that this government has finished its mandate, that Zdravko Krivokapi? with his ‘apostles’ has been a big lie. Montenegro once again got the false emperor ??epan Mali. In my opinion, the government should be formed with 20 ministers, with parliamentary majority parties, minorities and SDP and SD. Such a government would have broader support in the parliament. It could implement reforms to the end, and, with changes in prosecutor’s office and judiciary, prosecute all those who made Montenegro a private property, whereas it is known who is the leading creator of harmful policy - Milo ?ukanovi?. “
One of the burning topics related to Montenegro recently has been the smuggling of so-called cocaine bananas. Budimir Krstovi? and his daughter were accused and detained for the first “round “of 1.2 tons of cocaine. The President of the Committee for Security and Defence of the Parliament of Montenegro Milan Kne?evi? compared this case with the case of 400 kilograms of cocaine found in the “Voli” warehouse of Dragan Bokan. Members of the Committee unanimously decided to hear Krivokapi?, Abazovi?, police chiefs and the prosecutor’s office in this regard. What will we find out during those hearings? How do you comment on that?
“In the treatment of two cases, double standards have been used. Some big boss is pointing the finger at Krstovi? being the culprit at all costs. Some were in a hurry to arrest Buda Krstovi? and his daughter, an indictment was filed, and a trial was organized. On the other hand, although 400 kilograms of cocaine were found in Voli’s trucks and warehouse, in the bananas imported for the needs of this retail chain, Dragan Bokan, the owner of the “Voli” retail chain, was as safe as a church. Not only was he not prosecuted for such a big “cargo” of cocaine hidden among the bananas intended for the “Voli” company, but none of the competent authorities even asked him if it was his drugs. Even more shockingly, the cocaine in the banana packages was not discovered by the police or the border services, but by the employees of ‘Voli’, who did not first inform their boss, but submitted a video of ‘cocaine bananas’ to a member of the Montenegrin Parliament, who first posted it on social media.
I have repeatedly pointed out at criminal and corrupt actions of Dragan Bokan. All this has provoked no reaction from the state prosecutor’s office, which behaves protectively towards a member of a criminal group that stretches tentacles in Montenegro. Dragan Bokan has been suspected of being connected to international drug cartels. The drug was first found in a shipment of bananas intended for the company “Voli” in June 2018, when a container with about 30 kilograms of cocaine was delivered by ship from Ecuador. The affair was then covered up with the wholehearted help of the special prosecutor Milivoje Katni?, who also has ‘special ties’ with Dragan Bokan.
Recalling that drugs was found two times in the company “Voli”, the Montenegrin public demanded that the importers of bananas ‘tasting like cocaine’ be finally stopped, and their financiers brought to justice, while most political actors in Montenegro had pointed out for days that it was high time Dragan Bokan was arrested for drug trafficking. Despite the spectacular announcement of arrests from the Special State Prosecutor’s, nothing happened. Milivoje Katni? even stated that “to the degree of reasonable suspicion”, he believed that “Voli” and its owner Dragan Bokan there was an intention to falsely accuse for “the cocaine case”!? Only a freight forwarder from Bar was arrested, suspected of being part of an international criminal organization. The citizens of Bar protested and demanded that the innocent freight forwarder be released. No one is allowed to attach a criminal label to Dragan Bokan, the most responsible for drug smuggling, as he is a minion of Montenegrin President Milo ?ukanovi?. At the same time, he “cheered up” the special prosecutor Milivoj Katni? and former senior prosecutor Ivica Stankovi? by giving them expensive cars. The print media in Montenegro also fell silent, more precisely leapt to the defence of Dragan Bokan, especially after the unheard-of marketing move by the arrogant owner of ‘Voli’, who paid for entire print circulations of newspapers that proclaimed his ‘innocence’ and distributed them for free in his retail chain!?
Therefore, can we expect some “spectacular” discoveries of the Parliamentary Committee on Security and Defence, despite the efforts of the Chairman of the Committee, Milan Kne?evi?, to reach the whole truth? “The Silent Room” will remain deaf to the role of Dragan Bokan as an integral part of the logistics of cocaine smuggling.”
These days, we are reading your statements in the Montenegrin press regarding the fact that “Atlas Group” will not give up the arbitration that it initiated against the state of Montenegro with a compensation claim of 700 million euros. You have also mentioned the example of the “Meljine” hospital, for which the request for compensation is 74 million euros. Still, it is not only about money but also employees who lost their jobs, clients of banks that operated within your “Atlas Group”. To what extent have political events, especially the latest in Montenegro, affected your business - both the Atlas Group and the Mediteran University in Podgorica and the Banking Academy in Belgrade?
“The legal team, led by American lawyer Gary Born, one of the world’s leading experts in international arbitration, that has participated in over 600 arbitration proceedings, including the four largest proceedings before the Arbitration Court of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and the renowned international law firm Wilmer Hale (Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP), which includes lawyers, jurists, financial experts and auditors from the UK and the region, has initiated an international arbitration lawsuit, seeking compensation from the state of Montenegro before international and domestic courts for a total of 700 million euros. The state is required to pay the Atlas Group companies the damage caused by the illegal bankruptcy of Atlas Bank and IBM Bank by the Central Bank of Montenegro, and the arbitration also covers the damage caused by illegal actions of state authorities in the ‘Meljine’ Complex in Herceg Novi and the suspension of the multimillion project. The damage was caused by flagrant violations of Montenegrin and international law.
A settlement was proposed to the previous government, but no one found it necessary to respond. Our legal team sent a notification on the initiated arbitration to the new Government of Montenegro to be informed about the process between the Atlas Group on the one hand and the Government of Montenegro on the other, to have a fair opportunity to study litigation and evidence submitted. The government has chosen a law firm to represent it in this arbitration process.
The former government has organized a relentless campaign against the Atlas Group and me, with the explicit intention of undermining the business credibility and financial stability of the Atlas Group and the companies operating within it, significantly jeopardizing my international reputation. In these proceedings, the legal team found multiple law violations, which denied or completely derogated investors’ rights, which are protected by law and international agreements signed by Montenegro.
By violating their laws and directly interfering in the work of ‘independent’ judicial and regulatory bodies, the Montenegrin authorities, led by the President, have done almost irreparable material and non-material damage to me personally and to the members of the Atlas Group. One of their ‘arguments’ is fake suspicions regarding e-commerce, which they claimed was money laundering and tax evasion of over half a billion euros. In the proceedings before the Administrative Court of Montenegro, in early November 2021, the first verdict was passed in favour of e-commerce clients of ‘Atlas Bank’, which overturned the decisions of the Ministry of Finance and the Revenue and Customs Administration, according to which the profit tax of e-commerce clients is calculated. With this, the Administrative Court of Montenegro determined the actions of the Revenue and Customs Administration and the Ministry of Finance towards all the clients who used the e-commerce service, and to whom the Special State Prosecutor’s Office blocked 64 million euros with this bank with the explanation that it is tax evasion.
The destruction of the e-commerce business, which Atlas Bank was the first to introduce into the banking system, was a step to close the bank. This work was done through a connected group, led by the actions of SDT and special prosecutor Milivoje Katni?, who had a task from his boss, Milo ?ukanovi?, to declare this up-and-coming business for Montenegro and its banking system criminal and to take it away from Atlas Bank and transfer it to the ‘family’-run Prva bank. The proof of this is the fact that even today, several banks in Montenegro provide e-commerce services to customers with the same technology that ‘Atlas Bank’ used.”
You once addressed the Secretary of the United States with a letter. What was his answer, and what was the response of Great Britain, which provided you with refuge and where you enjoy an outstanding reputation?
“In the early 2019, when the fiercest attacks on the Atlas Group and myself began, I addressed two letters to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, informing him of the direct consequences of President Milo ?ukanovi?’s dictatorial rule on events in Montenegro, when thousands of citizens took to the streets to peacefully demand the establishment of Montenegro as a country governed by the rule of law and democracy. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission and the Foreign Office and Freedom House, were informed about it by a letter with similar content. Again, in November 2021, I sent a letter to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, informing him in detail about the corruption scandals of the Montenegrin President Milo ?ukanovi?, which caused a devastating effect on the economic, social and political stability of Montenegro. The letter was also sent to the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. These letters greatly impacted the reports of the European Commission, the State Department, the Foreign Office and Freedom House on the situation in Montenegro, mentioning “endemic corruption”, which we pointed out in letters to the most important international addresses and some of our findings reports. “
The public in Serbia does not know much about you. What would you say about yourself - who is Du?ko Kne?evi??
“Opting for a private business and building a business career for more than 30 years,?I have dedicated myself to education and continuous professional development, which has been a valuable component for my business success. I was born in Podgorica and studied in Belgrade. After graduating from the Faculty of Economics, where I also received my master’s degree, I obtained my doctoral degree at the Belgrade Faculty of Law. I have remained attached to the Serbian capital. I also founded the Belgrade Banking Academy, a higher education institution that has educated several generations of finance experts. I founded the company “Atlas Group” 30 years ago, whose backbone was Atlas Bank, until 2005, when the Greek Piraeus Bank took it over. I was the majority owner of ‘Kopaonik osiguranje’, bought by Slovenian ‘Triglav’ in mid-2006. I transferred my capital to Montenegro and started building a business empire. Two banks, a stock exchange, the first private university, investment and pension funds, television and radio, insurance, a water factory, tourist complexes, especially for medical tourism - were serious projects.
I can proudly specify my philanthropic engagement. I have donated a collection of paintings by most prominent Belgrade intellectuals to Serbia, which is now in the Museum of Contemporary Art. We were great donors to the construction of the Temple of Saint Sava, for which I received a great charter from Patriarch Pavle. Then, we have financed the construction of the monument of Patriarch Pavle, which is located on Ta?majdan in front of the Church of St. Mark. I entered the sport industry in the early 1990s, financing the Red Star Water Polo Club JUPEX (that was the name of my first company), which became the champion of Yugoslavia. We were with the Atlas Basketball Club for several years, from whose ranks prominent national team members Nikola Pekovi? and Stefan Markovi? emerged.
Through the work of the Atlas Foundation in Montenegro for 16 years, we have awarded scholarships to the best students of Montenegrin faculties. Among the more than 220 scholarship recipients are ministers, former and present, leading people in the banking system, deans of faculties, professors with doctoral degrees and distinguished experts in various fields.”
Read the whole interview in the new edition of the weekly “Ekspres”, which may be found on newsstands.