Interior minister comments on "attempt to blackmail PM"

Interior minister comments on "attempt to blackmail PM"

SREMSKA MITROVICA -- Nebojsa Stefanović commented on Wednesday on media reports about an alleged attempt by a number of senior police officials "to blackmail PM Aleksandar Vučić."

The interior minister said that the investigation into this case was under way.

"The police took statements from all the participants, and it is clear that some irregularities occurred during the procedure," Stefanović told Tanjug.

"I will not let anyone hide behind their police badge and I will insist on establishing responsibility and punishing all those who violated the law and rules of service," Interior Minister stressed.

According to the Belgrade media, certain senior police officials informed Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić in mid-May that his underage son Danilo (16) assaulted football goalkeeper Vladimir Stojković in a river barge restaurant, but the subsequent investigation determined that the allegations were false.

Responding to reporters' questions in Sremska Mitrovica, Vučić said that he "does not want to talk about this, primarily because he will never let anyone use blackmail or extortion against him or any other person in Serbia."

"All those who think that Serbia can be ruled by conspiracies, as had been done over the past 20 years, will have to face the fact that times have changed and that Serbia will be a normal and well-regulated country," stressed Vučić.