Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic reacted heatedly to questions from N1 reporter Mladen Savatovic about the “General Staff” case and the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime (TOK) indictment proposal against Culture Minister Nikola Selakovic. The president accused the N1 journalist of being a “liar,” “ill-mannered,” claimed he had called him Hitler, accused him of justifying an armed attack on Milan Bogdanovic in the so-called Caciland, and threatened to “re-educate” him “since your parents apparently didn’t.” Pro-regime Pink TV journalist Gordana Uzelac jumped into the exchange, defending Vucic.
Mladen Savatovic: For the first time since 1993, according to Nedeljnik, the prosecutor’s office is pursuing a case against a sitting minister. Do you expect Minister Selakovic to resign over this, or perhaps for Prime Minister (Djuro) Macut to dismiss him until it is clear who is responsible for what?
Aleksandar Vucic: You’re the one talking about responsibility – you, who calls me Hitler?
Mladen Savatovic: I have never called you Hitler.
Aleksandar Vucic: Don’t interrupt me. I listened carefully…
Mladen Savatovic: No, you’re accusing me of calling you Hitler. I’ve really never called you that…
Aleksandar Vucic: …everything you said was a lie, and I was silent the whole time – that says a lot about manners. You lied about everything! Everything!
Mladen Savatovic: I didn’t lie about anything; these are verifiable facts. Can we just stick to the questions without these accusations? It’s not decent… The same thing over and over.
Aleksandar Vucic: We can’t, because I have the right to speak, and you don’t get to tell me what I can or can’t say.
Mladen Savatovic: Fine, but if you could just answer…
Aleksandar Vucic: Thank you. So…
Mladen Savatovic: Thanks.
Aleksandar Vucic: You won’t stop lying because that is your only policy, it’s all you do, and you’ll keep it up. That’s great, and it’s important for people to hear and know that (…) As far as I’m concerned, this indictment proposal is shameful, pathetic, a disgusting political manipulation. Of course, the relevant authorities will decide, but I’m a relevant authority too, so I might make some decisions. Let me say right away: I want to answer for it (…) And in that case, I can’t wait for an indictment proposal against myself – against Aleksandar Vucic as president. The second it’s filed, I’ll pardon everyone else who might face charges.
Mladen Savatovic: The protected status was removed from the (General Staff) buildings – did you personally ask for that?
Aleksandar Vucic: I’m responsible, I’ll answer for it, and you’ll never learn manners – that’s something you bring from home, along with love for the truth, since you’re a proven liar and always will be. No one ever asked questions when an indictment was coming for the attempted murderer who seriously wounded Milan Bogdanovic. They don’t care about Milan Bogdanovic because he’s just a ‘caci’ to them. Milan Bogdanovic has no children – even though he has three! He’s a caci. He can be killed, and it’s normal for him to be killed, just like it’s normal for others to get hurt afterward… (the term ‘caci’ has become synonymous with hard-core regime supporters)
Mladen Savatovic: President, sorry, I have to respond. It’s really not okay to talk about us like that. It’s truly not right. You’ll be responsible if something happens to us because of what you say.
Aleksandar Vucic: So far, it’s mostly me who’s suffered, not you. As for that…
Gordana Uzelac: Be a bit decent, maybe other colleagues want to ask questions. No, really, this is rude on your part. We didn’t interrupt when you…
Mladen Savatovic: Sorry, Gordana – is it Gordana? No, it’s really rude that as a colleague you’re tolerating this and letting it happen. Sorry, but he’s attacking us, targeting us, and as a colleague, if you are one, you should stand up for us. Really, no. You’re presenting yourself as my colleague.
Gordana Uzelac: What do you mean targeting!? Mladen, what’s not true!?
Aleksandar Vucic: Gordana, Lidija, can I ask you… Just let the liar shout.
Gordana Uzelac: No, we can’t let him. How can we let him?
Aleksandar Vucic: Fine, let me finish on Caciland. You have to let liars and rude people show who they really are.
During the exchange with Savatovic, Vucic repeatedly called him rude and ill-mannered.
“The fact that your mom and dad didn’t teach you basic manners is your problem. But I’ll teach you, you’ll also get a response to your interruptions. I’ll teach you manners since your parents didn’t. Shame on you,” the president threatened our reporter.
As a reminder, President Vucic has announced he will file criminal complaints against everyone involved in what he called the witch hunt and destruction of Jared Kushner’s investment on the site of the NATO-bombed General Staff Complex in Belgrade.
Just a month after the adoption of a special law and hours after Serbia’s prosecutor’s office filed the indictment proposal against Minister Nikola Selakovic, Jared Kushner’s company, Affinity Partners, confirmed to N1 that it is “currently pulling out of” the planned project.
Source: N1
