VBA did not breach law, heated debate at committee meeting

BELGRADE - The Military Security Agency (VBA) did not violate any laws, and Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic failed to provide strong evidence that leaders of trade unions, high-ranking party officials, prosecutors and judges were under audio surveilance, the Serbian parliament committee for monitoring security agencies has concluded.

During the 6-hour debate that became heated at times, Jankovic told the committee he was simply following the law in his actions, while Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic said that he could not provide the ombudsman with the documents related to the incident between members of the VBA and Gendarmerie in Belgrade from September last year, which included also the prime minister's brother, Andrej Vucic, without permission from the prosecutor's office.

Jankovic showed the committee a document that causes suspicion that the VBA might have kept members of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS), a right-wing party with no seats in the parliament, under surveilance and monitored the organisation of the SRS rally, but said that he could not say for certain whether the document was authentic without an investigation.

Gasic replied that the doors of the Defence Ministry and military agencies were open to Jankovic, and that he could come and conduct an inspection, but pointed out that the document Jankovic had shown was the work of a now retired member of the Armed Forces, who had been forced to retire because of criminal activities.

The debate at the meeting was heated at times because parliament members from parties in the government mostly reacted strongly to any Jankovic's statement.

Parliament members from the opposition asked that the Defence Ministry and the VBA present all the documents related to the incident...