Bečić: I strongly welcome Special State Prosecutor’s Office’s request to permanently confiscate Radoje Zvicer’s assets

I strongly welcome the request submitted by the Special State Prosecutor’s Office to the High Court for the permanent confiscation and transfer into state ownership of more than 50,000 square metres of various assets belonging to Radoje Zvicer, including residential buildings, various premises, garages, orchards, yards and swimming pools, as well as armoured vehicles and other assets.

The fact that the Special State Prosecutor’s Office has submitted a request for the permanent confiscation of Radoje Zvicer’s assets, as well as the fact that the assets of persons accused of serious criminal offences are being frozen almost every day, with approximately two million square metres of various assets and around €70 million in bank accounts frozen last year alone, clearly shows that much has changed in Montenegro. Nothing is the same, and Montenegro will never again return to the dark era of mafia occupation.

Vetting and asset confiscation represent the most powerful blows against the foundations of organised crime. The system is being cleansed of their associates, while assets are being frozen and permanently confiscated in order to dismantle the infrastructure of criminal organisations.

That is why the Bureau for Operational Coordination insisted on and welcomed with satisfaction the adoption of the new Anti-Mafia Law, which we expect to significantly improve the efficiency of the asset confiscation process. Under the new framework, immediately after an indictment for serious criminal offences related to criminal activity is confirmed, a separate procedure for the permanent confiscation of assets can be initiated, with the burden of proving the manner in which the assets were acquired resting on the accused.

Effective proceedings, the permanent confiscation of assets belonging to criminal structures and their transfer into state ownership, vetting, the continuous prosecution and deprivation of liberty of the leaders and members of criminal organisations constitute the key to dismantling criminal pyramids and achieving the State’s ultimate victory over the mafia.