Podgorica, (MINA-BUSINESS) – According to the nongovernmental organization MANS, the decision of the Supreme Court to reject the request of the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office (VDT) in the Telekom case is proof of how much the case has become a symbol of years-long avoidance of shedding light on one of the biggest corruption scandals in recent history.

MANS Deputy Executive Director Dejan Milovac said it is particularly concerning that, even more than a decade after the scandal emerged, key state institutions are still dealing with procedural issues instead of finally providing the public with an answer as to whether corruption occurred during the privatization of Telekom and who bears responsibility for it.

MANS recalled that international investigations and proceedings before United States authorities confirmed the existence of corrupt payments linked to the privatization of Telekom, while the Montenegrin judiciary for years created the impression that there was no real willingness to bring the case to completion.

“The latest decision of the Supreme Court further raises the question of the responsibility of parts of the prosecution and judiciary that for years enabled the Telekom case to remain trapped in procedural disputes, without concrete results and without establishing the full responsibility of all actors,” Milovac said in a press release.

He added that this is yet another example confirming that, without serious vetting in the judiciary and prosecution, it will not be possible to ensure independent institutions willing to prosecute high-level corruption cases involving the most powerful political figures.