Source: Politika
Party officials of the current and former ruling coalitions have not heard of the case of Goran Milosevic, who was the first to uncover the “road mafia”, but they think he should not suffer because of that.
In most of the parties, they have not even heard of the case of former “Srbija Putevi” employee Goran Milosevic, who was the first to point out the malversations in connection with taking of road-toll and contributed in that way to uncovering of the “road mafia” and who has been unemployed for almost three years since he was dismissed from this company, although the Commissioner for Information has spoken several times in public about this case. All representatives of parties with whom we talked yesterday agree in principle that such treatment of persons who helped in the fight against crime and corruption is intolerable. Milosevic's reinstatement is not only a legal, but also a political issue, since ruling parties appoint directors of public enterprises and in that way have a larger impact on them. Still, none of the parties of current or previous ruling coalitions remembered Milosevic's case in negotiations about the division of managerial posts or proposed his reinstatement (and they all declaratively support the fight against corruption).Zeljko Ivanji, deputy from the G17 Plus political party and head of the anti-corruption team of this party, said that he had not known about the case of the former “Putevi Srbije' worker until now. “In order to react, we have to know about a case in the first place. I read about this for the first time yesterday in “Politika”. But I do not know on what basis he was dismissed. If the uncovering of the road mafia is the cause for his dismissal, it is intolerable”, said Ivanji and reminded that anti-corruption laws envisage protection of “whistle blowers”, i.e. persons who point out to corruption in certain institutions. He added that he, as a deputy, would call the future director, while on the question why he does not call the current director he answered that he “has found out about it now” and he could not dismiss or reinstate anybody. “The first duty and request of the new director would be to solve this case, but I also urge the current director. Maybe even he will reinstate Mr. Milosevic after this”, Mr. Ivanji said.
Nada Kolundzija, head of the “Za evropsku Srbiju” (For European Serbia) deputy group, said that her Democratic Party would try to rectify the injustice done to Mr. Milosevic, if he suffered just because he spoke about theft in the company in which he had been employed. “If the management of this company is not ready to reinstate him, we would try to do it through the public", Mrs. Kolundzija said.
We were told yesterday at the office of Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas, in which Mr. Milosevic requested to be admitted, that they had forwarded his letter to the City Public Attorney's Office. As we were informed, Dragan Djilas would decide whether he would admit Mr. Milosevic after he hears the opinion of the Public Attorney' Office.
The company “Putevi Srbije” is otherwise in the competence of the Republic and not Belgrade authorities.
Former Minister of Infrastructure Velimir Ilic, during whose term the “road mafia” was disclosed, said that he regretted this affair had not been uncovered. Asked how he would comment the fact that Mr. Milosevic, who had helped in the uncovering of theft in „Putevi Srbije”, was dismissed by director Branko Jocic, appointed to this office by the “Nova Srbija” political party, Mr Ilic said that in the end it was making mountains out of molehills. “Some small people who blow the whistle have to be scapegoats. I am sorry if the man had inconveniences, because he was only trying to help”. On the question whether Mr. Milosevic should be reinstated, Mr. Ilic said that he “does not mind”.
It should be remembered that in his interview to ”Politika” Mr. Milosevic said that he did not even try to address Mr. Ilic and Vojislav Kostunica, who was Prime Minister at that time, because he did not expect them to help him.
Commissioner for Information Rodoljub Sabic said that Mr. Milosevic's destiny had moved him as a man and he had tried to help Mr. Milosevic find a job on his request.
“I wrote about this problem to Minister of Infrastructure Milutin Mrkonjic for whom I thought could help. I also talked on the phone to him about this and he assured me that he would try to help. I later received a letter from the Minister in which they informed him that they had forwarded Milosevic's requests to ”Putevi Srbije”, ” said Mr. Sabic and added that he could not reinstate Mr. Milosevic, but those who could, should do it.
It was also confirmed to “Politika” from Mr. Mrkonjic's office that they had informed competent persons in “Putevi Srbije” about Milosevic's case. “What happened to Milosevic is not important for his destiny, it is an harsh, threatening message to all people who would like to try to do something about abuses and corruption in their environments”, Mr. Sabic concluded. An employee from “Putevi Srbije” called our editorial office yesterday and said that she also had inconveniences in the company because she had noticed theft, but she managed to keep her job after all. She said that issuing of double toll payment slips on toll booths had been just one of a number of ways to rob this company. She offered to be Mr. Milosevic's witness in the legal proceedings for libel he instituted against former director Branko Jocic.
Sabic: I did not disclose Mr. Milosevic's intentions
Commissioner for Information Rodoljub Sabic said that when Mr. Milosevic asked for his help two and a half years ago in order to receive the listing of toll payment slips distribution, he asked “Putevi Srbije” to explain the reasons for which they denied the requested information to Mr. Milosevic.
“Of course, I did not inform them about his motives and intentions, because I never do that and this is why I am unpleasantly surprised by the fact that I noticed a part of the text that could be interpreted in that way”, Mr. Sabic explained.
He said that he had not accepted the argument that it was a commercial secret and he had passed the decision which cancelled their decision and at the same time ordered them to make the listing public, i.e. to give a copy of the requested document to Mr. Milosevic.
“My decision was binding for “Putevi Srbije' under the law, but they did not act according to it. The Serbian Government, which must provide enforcement of Commissioner's decisions in case it is necessary, did not do it. “Putevi Srbije” even filed charges against me to the Supreme Court requesting the cancelling of my decision. The Supreme Court of Serbia rejected this charge as unallowed several months after that and only then Mr. Milosevic received the document which is now important evidence in the process against the “road mafia”, Mr. Sabic explained.
