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A thread placing in context the accusations of Nacional that Djukanovic ordered the murder of Pukanic: Since 2001, a Croatian weekly newspaper “Nacional” run 43 articles almost exclusively dedicated to a so-called “tobacco affair”. /1
The president of #Montenegro Đukanović, a controversial businessman from #Serbia and #Switzerland Stanko Cane Subotić and late #Serbia PM Đinđić were main targets of the “tobacco affair”. Whereas both Đukanović and Subotić were involved in cigarette trade Đinđić was not /2
In the Pukanic's “Nacional” articles, the Serbian Prime Minister was with no proof whatsoever presented as an integral part of an international cigarette smuggling ring. A mere fact that he was on friendly terms with Djukanovic and Subotic made him a legitimate target /3
For months, Serbian and Montenegrin press were republishing Nacional's articles. Political opponents of Djukanovic and Djindjic were quoting them at large. The unsubstantiated allegations from Nacional served as a backbone for claims in Serbia that Djindjic had criminal ties /4
The allegations from Nacional served as a foundation for an orchestrated campaign against him that did not end until he was murdered back on 12 March 2003. /5
One may wander why would a newspaper from #Croatia make central to their editorial policy for months, an affair to a large extent unrelated to Croatia, and of a marginal interest to a majority of their readers? /6
An investigative journalist program from Serbia @Insajder_net, in their series about the “tobacco affair” claimed that Pukanić fabricated the involvement of the Serbian government in the affair for the benefit of a Croatian tobacco producer TDR https://insajder.net/sr/sajt/insoins/236/ /7
TDR’s interests were jeopardized by the policies of the new democratic government in Serbia. Namely, the Đinđić government ended the preferential treatment to the Croatian producer’s cigarettes in Serbia, which started through a partnership between TDR and Milošević’s family /8
Back at the beginning of the “Nacional” affair in 2001, Đinđić himself accused the Croatian producer of using “Nacional” to fabricate the affair against his government who tried to regulate a hopelessly corrupt cigarette market. https://www.vreme.com/cms/view.php?id=257603 /9
Fast forward to 2012. The new owners of “Nacional”, NCL Media Group dissociated themselves from the writings of the newspaper on the so-called “tobacco affair” ran by its previous owner and editor in chief Ivo Pukanić. https://lupiga.com/vijesti/grom-iz-vedra-neba-nacional-se-odrice-svoje-najvece-price-i-brise-sve-tekstove-na-tu-temu /10
In an unprecedented settlement with Subotić, Nacional agreed to delete all the articles on the affair from their web page and internet browsing tools. As part of the agreement they published a long (of paid content kind) interview with Subotic http://arhiva.nacional.hr/clanak/127232/zrtva-sam-kriminalaca-koji-su-ubili-zorana-dindica /11
The Nacional brand and its archive have since been acquired by Berislav Jelinić, its former journalist, who re-launched the magazine at the end of 2014. /12
In 2011, Subotic was convicted to 6 years in prison by the Belgrade Court of Appeals for the crime of abuse of office in a private company in relation to cigarette smuggling. He was never extradited from Switzerland to Serbia because Switzerland did not recognize this crime. /13
The Belgrade Court of Appeals overturned the verdict in March 2013 and ordered a retrial. In the period following, the Serbian Criminal Code changed to eliminate the “abuse of office” charge in relation to private companies. https://www.krik.rs/en/belgrade-court-acquits-stanko-subotic-of-cigarette-smuggling-charges-in-final-ruling/ @KRIKrs /14
Ever since the victory of the Serbian Progressive Party in the elections in 2012, the attitude of the Serbian prosecution and courts towards Subotic dramatically changed to the better. /15
Djukanovic too was tried in Italy for a massive cigarette smuggling operation facilitated and conducted by his state during the 1990s. The trial began in November 2001. /16
Djukanovic was questioned in Bari in March 2008. The case in relation to him was archived. The prosecution argued that this was because he invoked presidential immunity. /17
Although highly unlikely, Giuseppe Scelsi, public prosecutor, announced that Djukanovic could be tried for his alleged involvement in cigarette smuggling once he leaves politics. /18
