17. 06. 2005

CULTURE MINISTER “SURPRISED”

BELGRADE, June 17, 2005 – Serbian Culture Minister Dragan Kojadinovic stated that he had demanded deferment of the discussion on the privatization of Vecernje Novosti at the Serbian Government session. Kojadinovic said that he had also demanded the postponement of the discussion on the replacement of the Serbian public attorney Sead Spahovic until the situation was cleared. Kojadinovic stated that he was surprised by the decision to dismiss Spahovic for not protecting the Serbian interest in the Novosti privatization process. The Government has put out of force the Agreement on regulation of the founding rights in federal public institutions and public companies in the field of information, which has put the founding rights and management of Novosti at the disposal of the federal authorities. Dismissed public attorney Sead Spahovic said that in the lawsuit of company Vecernje Novosti against the state, the Government’s Secretary Dejan Mihailov had accused him of protecting the interest of Vecernje Novosti, which the Government later denied. The Association of Serbian Public Attorneys demanded the explanation of Spahovic’s dismissal, saying that it was a clear example of violence of political exhortation over justice. “In lawsuits of company Novosti against the Republic of Serbia, the Public Attorneys’ Office has acted in full accordance with the orders of the Culture Ministry and has successfully employed legal remedies adequately to these orders”, said in the statement of the association.