“Zvonko Veselinovic and Milan Radoicic criminals” – Serbian MPs clash over their dirty work

In the debate on the draft budget rebalance, People’s Party MEP Borislav Novaković asked Finance Minister Siniša Mali how it was possible for the companies of “criminals” Zvonko Veselinović and Milan Radoičić, people who are under international sanctions, to receive funds from the budget.

This caused strong reactions from members of the government, and the newly appointed Minister of State Administration and Local Self-Government, Aleksandar Martinović, also reacted, saying that the people there are not criminals, but “those who, from 2000 to 2012, destroyed everything they could destroy, and if Aleksandar Vucic had not won in 2012, they would have destroyed the country of Serbia”.

Novaković stated that Zvonko Veselinović is not in Kosovo.

“He lives in Novi Sad and orchestrates the criminal scene of Novi Sad and the whole country.” You know that he is a mafioso and a criminal, but you are silent and you are not allowed to say his name. As a Member of Parliament for Novi Sad, I have the right to say that. I have the right to say that my city will no longer be an occupied city and that it will not experience the torture of Andrej Vučić and Zvonko Veselinović. “Andrej Vučić running the political processes and Zvonko Veselinović running the criminal activities,” said Novaković.

He added that Novi Sad will soon become a free city.

“This will happen when these two stop their torture”, Novakovic tried to continue, but was interrupted by Assembly Speaker Vladimir Orlić.

During Borislav Novakovic’s speech, the progressives spoke all the time, and then Milenko Jovanov, the leader of the SNS group, took the floor to claim that the two men in question had not been convicted.

“Novakovic has been held criminally responsible, but he has to attack people who have never been held accountable.” He is repeating Albin Kurti’s thesis that Serbs are attacking themselves”, said Jovanov, who accused Novakovic of being “Albin Kurti’s megaphone”.

Novaković was also answered by Martinović, who said that the situation in Kosovo has never been more difficult, and in the assembly, the members of the Serbian List and the Serbian people in Kosovo are being criminalized.

“You are criminalising the presidents of the municipalities and the mayors in the north of Kosovo, and they have crossed the political rubicon and said – either there will be a Association of Serbian municipalities or we will not participate in the government”, Martinović said, and assessed that the opposition MPs do not have to support Aleksandar Vučić and the Serbian government, but they have to support the Serbian people in Kosovo.

During the debate, Finance Minister Siniša Mali also replied to Novaković. He pointed out that Novakovic was speaking “as if he were the Prime Minister of the Provisional Institutions of Pristina and not an honourable Member of Parliament”.

“This is the voice against Serbia and the voice of some others who speak through these people.” I will not go into that. We will fight for our people in Kosovo and for the people who are fighting for them, and if there is anything that is not in line with the law, please tell us,” said Mali./Danas/