Miloš Janjušević escaped in a diplomatic vehicle, Serbian Progressive Party promotional material found in apartments in Budva

Police found promotional material belonging to the Serbian Progressive Party in apartments in Budva belonging to Miloš Janjušević, a native of Nikšić who is under scrutiny by investigators over suspected electoral fraud related to Serbia’s snap parliamentary elections. The discovery was made last night, Pobjeda was told by senior security-sector sources. The Serbian Progressive Party, following Sunday evening’s election results, was relegated to the opposition benches after Serbian voters handed victory to the Student List.

According to the newspaper’s sources, investigators are gathering information about Janjušević’s role and that of his associates in possible irregularities during Sunday’s snap parliamentary elections in Serbia. These include suspicions of vote-buying and attempts to enable people who were not registered on the electoral rolls to vote.

The night before last, police detained Goran Janjušević, a native of Nikšić, Radovan Guzina from Danilovgrad, and Serbian citizen R. A. in Berane on suspicion of interfering in the electoral process in neighbouring Serbia, where representatives of the Student List achieved what was described as a historic victory.

During Goran Janjušević’s detention, police allegedly found a list of voters and a leaflet targeting members of the Democratic Montenegro party with offensive photographs and messages.

Miloš Janjušević, meanwhile, has been identified by the security services as an activist for the Serbian Progressive Party and an operative in a network run by V.  M., a Serbian citizen and former athlete, responsible for „operations“ in Montenegro.

According to the newspaper’s sources, Janjušević was in Belgrade shortly before the election, where he allegedly received instructions from V. M. regarding vote-buying and the organisation of voting. At the same time, he was in direct communication with D. M. and other officials from a foreign embassy who were in Berane on election day.

Pobjeda submitted questions to the Basic State Prosecutor’s Office in Berane regarding the matter. However, by the time this edition went to press, it had received no response as to whether a formal case had been opened or what specific actions, if any, the suspects were accused of.

Serbian citizens were able to vote at three polling stations in Montenegro: at Serbia’s embassy in Podgorica, in Berane and in Sutomore. According to data from the Centre for Democratic Transition (CDT), the Student List secured 66.30 per cent of the vote and won a decisive victory in Montenegro.

Evaded detention

According to information obtained by Pobjeda, on election day, 25 October, Miloš Janjušević arrived in Berane with his associates in a convoy of several vehicles, one of which was allegedly an official car belonging to the state-owned company Public Enterprise for Coastal Zone Management (Morsko dobro).

Within the organisation’s network, one of the associates was reportedly responsible for transporting voters, which allegedly led to his detention. Miloš Janjušević, meanwhile, is said to have spent the entire day at the polling station, according to unofficial information.

Shortly before the polling station closed, Janjušević allegedly instructed his associates, Goran Janjušević and Guzina, to leave in his BMW, the same vehicle in which police reportedly found the voter list and the leaflet targeting members of Democratic Montenegro.

After learning that his associates had been detained, Miloš Janjušević left Berane by entering a diplomatic vehicle belonging to a foreign embassy, which also contained ballot papers, according to the newspaper’s sources. He thereby effectively evaded detention, as any police inspection of a diplomatic vehicle on election night would have meant interfering with the electoral process in Serbia.

It remains unclear whether Janjušević gave a statement to the police during the day, as had been unofficially announced.

Democratic Montenegro responds

Shortly after reports emerged in the media that two Montenegrin citizens and one Serbian citizen had been detained, Democratic Montenegro called for an urgent response from the competent authorities, demanding that the organisers and financiers be identified.

On the offensive poster, members of Democratic Montenegro were targeted with a derogatory term used to insult LGBTQ people, alongside inappropriate slogans.

- We emphasise that it is not enough merely to establish who put up and distributed the posters. It must also be determined who conceived them, who printed them, who organised the entire operation and, in particular, who financed it - the party said in a statement.

The party claims that the campaign is the work of structures attempting to defeat it politically through personal insults, lies and anonymous campaigns.

- The competent authorities should also investigate any possible links between the organisers of such campaigns and political, criminal and intelligence structures. If such links exist, the public must learn the truth - Democratic Montenegro said.

The party added that it expected the institutions to identify the organisers of what it described as a dirty campaign, as well as those tasked with discrediting political opponents.

Investigation under way into possible use of „Morsko Dobro“ vehicle

The Public Enterprise for Coastal Zone Management of Montenegro announced that it was investigating whether an official vehicle belonging to the state-owned company had allegedly been used for election-related activities on election night.

- We inform the public that we will take all measures within our remit. We are confident that the competent authorities will establish all the facts, and our company will take appropriate action accordingly - the company said in a statement.

It added that, as a company recognised by independent organisations in Montenegro and the wider region for its transparency, it would do everything necessary to clarify all the circumstances.

- The public will be informed of any further proceedings and their outcomes - Morsko dobro concluded.