Sabic: Vucic's Basic Check Not in the Law

Rodoljub Sabic (Beta/Milan Obradovic)

Rodoljub Sabic, attorney and former commissioner for information of public importance and personal data protection, has stated there was no such thing as what Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic recently termed "the most basic of checks" in the Law on preventing money laundering and financing terrorism, especially not so vigorous as the one to which the Administration for Preventing Money Laundering has subjected journalists and representatives of certain non-governmental organizations.

"If such probes were to become regular practice, or if they have already, if these data can be accessed on a whim at someone's personal discretion, that would leave the door wide open to violations of privacy, illegal personal data processing and their misuse, and render legal guarantees of confidentiality of bank accounts an empty promise," Sabic told BETA on July 31.

This was his comment on a claim by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that a recent initiative of the Administration for Preventing Money Laundering was "the most basic of checks" and that it did not constitute pressure on the civil sector and media in any way.

"It's not anything special, it's just the most basic of checks. But it's always about politics: Let's make a racket that we're under duress so we'll get a little more money from donors. And it's been like that for 30 years," Vucic said.

Sabic said Article 73 in the Law on preventing money laundering and financing terrorism stated that the Administration may ask for information about transactions, changes to or balance of accounts only if there is suspicion about certain transactions or persons related to money laundering or financing terrorism.