Our aspiration is to establish a state where the law prevails over fear. If this involves identifying every member of the ‘black threes’ by name, we will do so. And if the vetting process inflicts pain, so be it, remarked Boris Bogdanović, the leader of the Democratic parliamentary group.

His remarks followed the testimony of Milan Paunović, a long-standing official from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Police Administration, before the Inquiry Committee.

“If there was ever any doubt, it has been resolved today. The testimony of Milan Paunović, who has dedicated his life to the security sector, has shattered the final illusion. Montenegro is not threatened by organized crime from the outside, but rather by criminal activities within its institutions. It was not the citizens who destroyed the system, but those entrusted with its protection. Hence, anyone still unsure about the necessity for comprehensive vetting within the security sector—including the ANB, the Police Administration, the Ministry of Defense, and the judiciary—either did not grasp Paunović’s message or are hoping we will never uncover their identities,” stated Bogdanović.

He explained that Paunović’s account illustrated a system where “political dissenters were monitored, assaulted, and suppressed,” where journalists, civil activists, and citizens were “targeted through the sinister directives of the underworld.” He stressed that “the most notorious aggressors wore uniforms, not out of impulse, but as a directive, undermining the honorable and honest members of the security sector,” all while the key players in the system are those currently seeking to “protect” the police from reforms.

“However, we will not halt our efforts or become complacent. We are determined to build a state where the law is paramount, where no ‘commander of the black threes’ or ‘head of the Seventh Directorate’ can wield power except to face justice. If that necessitates identifying every member of the ‘black threes’ by name, we will pursue it. Should the vetting process be painful, let it be so. For only truth has healing power; anything less would be a deterioration. Lastly, to the citizens: do not fear those who once surveilled you, sanctioned your detention, assaulted you, or fabricated charges against you. The state is now pursuing them—and compiling a list, but this time for justice rather than oppression,” Bogdanović declared.

News