15. 12. 2011

"KURIR" JUST A COVER

Belgrade, December 15, 2011 (Vecernje novosti) - The Liberal Democratic Party accused yesterday the centers of power in the government and Democratic Party of intending to take control of "Vecernje Novosti", "Politika" and "Dnevnik".

Cover for this job is, as LDP member Zoran Ostojic said at the press conference, daily "Kurir", which will get the money from the government to purchase shares of VAC in all three print media.

"The whole project for the purchase of shares in these dailies is led by parts of the executive power, concentrated around some circles in the Democratic Party. Framework agreement with VAC was signed on November 10 at the airport in Düsseldorf, Germany, by Aleksandar Rodic and Dusan Bjelopetrovic, who is the true owner, that is, a representative of the true owner "Kurir". The roof contract provides that the job should be executed, while a multi-million takeover of ownership in three media to be paid by December 22", Ostojic said.

According to Ostojic, Bjelopetrovic is a longtime, trustworthy and influential civil servant and official, vice president of the "Kurir Info", not an "independent and autonomous businessman or an expert in the media". He works as a special adviser to the Ministry of Justice, involved in many activities and appointed by the government to the managing boards of companies with state or public ownership (Trudbenik, Zitomlin, Mackatica...). He also worked in the Privatization Agency.

Ostojic said that Bjelopetrovic had taken control of the company "Kurir" after the arrest of a former owner Radisav Rodic and his deals with the state. He had entered into arrangement with VAC on behalf of "Kurir".

"It is obvious that Bjelopetrovic is acting as a commissary of the government's circle and that he will lead the operation of taking over ownership and editorial control in three very powerful, respectable print media with high circulation", Ostojic said.

Political control of media

Liberals have also notified the Anti-Corruption Agency and Prosecution for organized crime and are now waiting for the reply. Ostojic says that the extinction of the media pluralism and impose of political control.

"The degree of control could easily exceed the one during the regime of Slobodan Milosevic. What DS is trying to employ is not an example of average corruption, but rather political, systemic corruption which must be stopped."