How to keep the secret of the Senjak murder while everyone remains innocent?
After the collapse at the EU Summit, Aleksandar Vučić and his team turned to finding another topic that would be intriguing for the public, all in order to divert attention from the „Senjak case“ and the alleged involvement of the Serbian police in the killing of controversial businessman Aleksandar Nešović „Baja“. For that reason, the leadership of the Serbian security sector was tasked with locating Miloš Medenica. Meanwhile, the Belgrade Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the criminal complaint against Veselin Milić, which alleged his involvement in Nešović’s murder.
The operation of sending a group of security-interest individuals from Belgrade on a charter flight to Tivat before the EU Summit had a dual purpose.
First, Aleksandar Vučić and his SNS team wanted Montenegro to be presented as a state under the control of organized crime and incapable of organizing the EU Summit as a high-risk event. At the same time, the Serbian president wanted to quickly shift attention away from the murder case in Senjak and the alleged involvement of Belgrade police chief Veselin Milić.
OPERATION DISTRACTION OF PUBLIC ATTENTION
A source from the security sector in Belgrade told ETV that Aleksandar Vučić demanded from his closest associates to find a way to stop the scandal that erupted regarding the cover-up of the murder of Aleksandar „Baja“ Nešović.
- When investigative journalist Vuk Cvijić began publishing information from interrogations of suspects in „Radar“, and when the outlines of a major scandal started to emerge, Vučić’s circle devised the „charter flight to Tivat“ operation, all in order to distract public attention, as well as various intelligence services - says the source.
According to information from Television E, Serbian services had already received unofficial approval from Podgorica for the „ćaci“ group to pass border and customs control without major obstacles. However, the operation was disrupted by the French intelligence service, which provided precise data to the Montenegrin authorities about the loyalists sent from Serbia to Montenegro.
UNCOVERING THE PLAN
Although Montenegro’s Minister of Defence Dragan Krapović claims that the operation of stopping and deporting Vučić’s loyalists was carried out by the Montenegrin services, several sources from the international community repeat that the initial information about the charter flight on the Belgrade - Tivat route was in fact provided by the French Directorate General for External Security (DGSE).
Additional work by local operatives uncovered further information, including who was responsible for enabling the stay of Vučić’s „ćaci“ in Montenegro. According to these findings, reservations were handled by Saša Lazić, a retired Serbian police officer, who was later arrested near Bijelo Polje.
Television E also reported the role of Dejan Ljevnaić, former SIA operative and current Director for Strategic Development of Luštica Development, the resort where Vučić’s loyalists were supposed to stay.
„UNPAID BILLS“
After the failure of the operation and an international embarrassment of sorts, Vučić, immediately upon returning, told his associates that in the „Senjak case“ there would be no privileged or excluded persons from the investigation, including Veselin Milić.
- For Aleksandar Vučić, Veselin Milić’s refusal to use force against students after the major rally on March 15 is unforgivable. The regime’s leadership planned to present the situation as if students had attacked the police, in order to justify banning further student gatherings - says a source from the Serbian security sector.
The source also notes that disobedience to Vučić was also shown by Spasoje Vulević, then commander of the SAJ, who was subsequently dismissed and later retired.
Sources from the top of the Serbian security sector claim that Vučić ordered that materials compromising Milić should not be hidden. However, he also warned that regime-loyal media outlets such as Informer should not be directly involved in a propaganda campaign against Milić, as it would be politically counterproductive.
The President of Serbia is aware that Veselin Milić knows a lot, and that it would not be good if, in the event of criminal prosecution, his knowledge of illegal actions by the top of the Serbian government were to reach the public.
NEW TASK: FIND MILOŠ MEDENICA
After the failed sabotage operation in Tivat, Vučić and his team turned to finding another topic that would be intriguing for the public. Therefore, the leadership of the Serbian security sector, including SIA capacities, was given the task of locating Miloš Medenica.
A significant part of the agent network in Montenegro has been engaged in the search for Medenica, but current diplomatic and consular staff of the Serbian Embassy in Montenegro are not being used.
According to reports, for the new operation, old staff has been engaged, such as Ljubiša Milanović, a former police operative who once worked at the Serbian Embassy in Montenegro.
In January 2020, Montenegro’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs verbally banned Milanović from entering state institutions and contacting officials, after it was discovered that the Serbian diplomat had been the source of false information claiming that Kosovo special police units (ROSU) would enter Montenegro on Orthodox Christmas Eve to support Montenegrin police against protestors.
Whether the old staff will succeed in finding Medenica, and whether they will cooperate with Montenegrin police, is still unknown. It is certain that Medenica’s social media account has been blocked for about ten days...