Dritan Abazovic

Montenegrin outgoing Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic (C) at the Non-Aligned Movement Conference in Azerbaijan. Photo: Government of Montenegro

Montenegrin government members at a parliament session in November 2016. Photo: Government of Montenegro

Special State Prosecution spokesperson Vukas Radonjic said that the suspects, who at the time were members of a government commission, violated internal procedures on loan repayment agreements with state officials.

An opposition bloc led by the Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, which was swept from power in 2020 after three decades of uninterrupted rule, came second with 23.8 per cent of votes.

A year on, Abazovic has his deal with the Church and can point to a string of high-profile organized crime arrests. But while the work of the Constitutional Court has been unblocked, little progress has been made on reforming the judiciary, a key condition of Montenegro's EU accession process.

Montenegrin National Security Committee session in Podgorica. Photo: Government of Montenegro

Media reported on Tuesday that Do Kwon sent a letter to outgoing Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic, outgoing Justice Minister Marko Kovac and the Special State Prosecution, claiming that he financed Europe Now.

Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic (L) and Mayor of Budva Milo Bozovic (R) at a meeting in Budva. Photo: Photo: Government of Montenegro

The Special State Prosecution said the arrest of Bozovic and unnamed persons from Budva, Cetinje and the capital Podgorica, was organised with the support of the European police agency EUROPOL.

Dritan Abazovic said in an interview for the BiH TV network that it will be seen whether the hand of justice goes towards the outgoing president of Montenegro, Milo Djukanovi.

Montenegrin state prosecutor Vukas Radonjic at a conference in Podgorica. Photo: PR Centar

On October 14, 2021, the Basic Prosecution in Podgorica detained the two police officers, Aleksandar Boskovic and Sasa Djurovic, for allowing Belivuk and Miljkovic to enter the country.

President Milo Djukanovic at the polling station in Podgorica. Photo: BIRN/Samir Kajosevic

On April 2, Djukanovic lost the second-round vote to Europe Now candidate Jakov Milatovic, losing power 32 years after he was first appointed Prime Minister in February 1991.

Montenegrin Special State Prosecutor Vladimir Novovic (L), Police Director Zoran Brdjanin (M) and Special Police Department Predrag Sukovic (R) in Podgorica. Photo: Government of Montenegro

The government appointed two new interim police directors, Nikola Terzic and Predrag Sukovic, who will be in charge of contact with the European police agency Europol.