The editor of United Media’s Radar weekly Zoran Preradovic said that the fact that United Group Serbia CEO Vladica Tintor has access to United Media outlets’ internal communications, emails, and documents amounts to open espionage by appointees of the Serbian authorities.
United Group Serbia is owned by the same parent company as N1. The company headed by Tintor has started monitoring N1 servers in a way that could enable complete control over journalists’ sensitive data. Preradovic said this continues on the campaign against independent media.
“This is an attempt — following the conversation between UG and Telekom Serbia CEO’s Miller and Lucic — to push things further in silencing or dismantling, primarily N1 and Nova, and then the rest of us within United Media,” Preradovic said. “However, it seems to me that this process has been seriously slowed down and disrupted because of that recording.”
The Radar editor also says that BC Partners, the investment fund that owns United Media outlets, has suffered significant financial losses since the recording of the conversation between Lucic and Miller was made public, and that the reputational risk is enormous.
“It’s not the smartest move at this moment to place a political bet on Vucic, and I think the people at BC Partners are aware of that. That’s why I’m not sure the operation envisioned by the authorities will be carried out to the end,” he said.
He also noted that he could personally call Tintor and show him his own correspondence, but added that this is about “Vucic’s paranoia — that with a tamed N1 and Nova, it will be easier for him to win elections”.
Tintor took over United Group Serbia last summer. His appointment was shrouded in secrecy and he was not allowed into the building by security but returned with lawyers who also represent Telekom Srbija. Tintor is no novice in information technology. As head of RATEL, he also served ex officio as the head of CERT, the regulatory body for electronic communications responsible for the cyber-security of state-owned companies. In a reply to N1, he said the measures were solely aimed at improving system security.
“These activities are conducted on an ongoing basis and were further intensified following certain IT disruptions and data security incidents recorded over the past year. Measures to enhance oversight of company data and strengthen its security represent standard and responsible practice in modern corporate governance. They are not connected to any foreign individual or entity, nor are they specifically related to the news or media activities of United Group,” Tintor said.
Source: N1
