Allegations Surface as Businessman Misuses Confidential Data

The Special State Prosecutor’s Office (SDT) has launched an investigation into allegations that businessman Aleksandar Mijajlović misused confidential information to exert pressure on citizens and manipulate political processes from 2018 to 2024. The investigation, initiated through an order from the SDT, claims that Mijajlović coordinated with individuals in government institutions to collect personal data for personal and political gain.

According to the SDT, Mijajlović and his associates operated systematically, gaining access to official databases and using this information to intimidate employees of related companies, especially during election periods. Key members of this group include former deputy director of the police, Drago Spičanović, and former Minister of Defence Predrag Bošković. The SDT’s suspicions are further supported by communications retrieved from a Samsung S24 mobile phone seized on February 19, 2024.

Messages exchanged via WhatsApp and Viber reveal that Mijajlović issued orders to group members, requesting sensitive information about citizens, vehicles, and border crossings. Notably, he sought checks on individuals like Milica Knežević, inquiring whether she had signed a petition for a church and instructed Spičanović to monitor her.

Systematic Pressure and Political Manipulation

The SDT has accused Spičanović of leveraging his position within the police and the National Security Agency (ANB) to relay confidential information about citizens who participated in religious processions known as liturgies. In one of the messages, Mijajlović emphasized Spičanović’s importance in their operations, stating, “You are a priority,” to which Spičanović responded, “You are my people.”

Documents from the SDT suggest that Spičanović regularly provided reports on the number of participants in these liturgies across various cities. Mijajlović and Bošković allegedly exchanged information on the political affiliations of employees and their families during the 2020 elections, leading to claims that some individuals lost their jobs as a result of systemic pressure.

The investigation has retrieved correspondence between Mijajlović and Bošković from October 2020, discussing the health status of Metropolitan Amfilohije. Bošković referenced that the clergyman was “on 12L oxygen,” to which Mijajlović responded, “Is that a lot? I don’t understand.”

Illegal Surveillance and Coercive Tactics

Further scrutiny of the communications revealed that Vladan Lazović, a former officer in the Special Police Department, allegedly provided Mijajlović with information on covert surveillance measures. In messages dating back to December 2020, Lazović informed Mijajlović about ongoing investigations, to which Mijajlović encouraged him to proceed aggressively.

The documents indicate that Lazović also shared intelligence regarding planned police operations and activities at the Port of Bar, where excise goods, including cigarettes, are stored. Mijajlović maintained contact with Milovan Pavićević, the former head of the Podgorica Security Centre, discussing various political and operational matters.

Pavićević is accused of directing police officers to monitor noisy hospitality establishments and politically intervening during the 2020 parliamentary elections. The SDT alleges that he shared sensitive information about arrests during protests against the Law on Freedom of Religion.

In one instance, Mijajlović transmitted a message from an unidentified sender, nicknamed MICKO, requesting that a bar be penalized for noise complaints. Pavićević replied that he was “finishing up,” and Mijajlović expressed gratitude for the prompt action.

The investigation continues to unfold as the SDT examines the extensive network of communications that implicate several high-ranking officials in the misuse of confidential information, raising serious concerns about the integrity of political processes and the safeguarding of citizen privacy.