Four Serbian businessmen with close ties to the country’s current government have been named in a request for US sanctions submitted to Secretary of State Marco Rubio by Republican Congressman Joe Wilson.
The proposed sanctions target Ivan Bosnjak and Stojan Vujko of Millennium Team, Davor Macura of Alta Bank, and Zeljko Mitrovic, the owner of Pink TV.
The request, submitted on October 14 and contained in a letter seen by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), calls for the four men to be barred from traveling to the United States and from accessing the US financial system.
Wilson addressed the letter to Rubio in his capacity as co-chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the US Helsinki Commission.
The letter accuses the four businessmen of using public resources for personal enrichment and describes them as associates of Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia's former president and dominant political figure for more than a decade.
"They sustain his corrupt regime, have worked to undermine US interests in the country and the region, and are actively involved in rigging the October 25 election," the letter says, referring to Serbia’s upcoming parliamentary elections.
A photo of the letter sent by Congressman Joe Wilson to Marco Rubio on October 14.
Millennium Team and Alta Bank rejected the allegations in responses to RFE/RL, describing them as false, while Zeljko Mitrovic did not directly address the claims contained in the sanctions request.
Neither Millennium Team nor Alta Bank has been subject to international sanctions, nor have Bosnjak, Vujko, or Macura. Mitrovic, however, was placed under US sanctions over his ties to the regime of the late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic.
Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party did not respond to RFE/RL’s request for comment.'
'Multiple Corrupt Contracts'
The snap elections are seen as the most uncertain yet for Vucic, who is seeking to return as prime minister after resigning as president on September 27. Having served two presidential terms, he is constitutionally barred from seeking a third.
Vucic, who previously served as prime minister from 2014 to 2017, and his Serbian Progressive Party have dominated Serbian politics for the past 14 years.
SEE ALSO:
Could Vucic Become Serbia's Prime Minister Again?In response to a query from RFE/RL, the US State Department said it does not comment on its correspondence with Congress or on its actions in specific cases due to visa record confidentiality.
"The Trump Administration is protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process", the response said.
The United States can impose sanctions on countries, companies, organizations, or individuals it determines pose a threat to its national security, foreign policy, or economy.
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5
Is Serbia's President Pulling A Putin-Medvedev Power Swap?
Such measures are a foreign-policy tool and do not necessarily mean that those targeted have been convicted of a crime.
The sanctions request alleges that Ivan Bosnjak and Stojan Vujko of the Millenium Company received “multiple corrupt government and Chinese contracts that ensure Western business, including American business, are pushed out of the country in favor of cronyism.”
The letter also says Alta Bank was “involved in the money laundering side of the business, while Pink TV consolidates the media and serves as the propaganda outlet.”
'Kleptocratic Regime'
Wilson accused Vucic of hollowing out the rule of law and attempting to dismantle democratic competition in Serbia.
"He made many promises to the United States and delivered on none of them. Rather, his kleptocratic regime has invited in Russian and Chinese influence", the letter says.
Wilson urged Rubio to take the proposed measures to "ensure that the Vucic regime cannot steal the election."
Republican Congressman Joe Wilson (file photo)
The US Helsinki Commission, which Wilson co-chairs, is an independent US government body that monitors compliance with international security and human rights commitments.
According to its website, it promotes security by advancing human rights, democracy, and economic, environmental, and military cooperation in the 57 participating states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
'Troubling Signs'
Separately, several days before the parliamentary elections, a bipartisan group of US senators urged Serbian authorities to ensure a level playing field for all participants, saying they had observed "troubling signs" ahead of the vote.
They said "reports of unlawful wiretapping of opposition members and attempts to discredit and undermine election observation missions are deeply concerning."
SEE ALSO:
US Lawmakers Target Serbia's Democratic Backsliding, Ties To Russia, China, IranIn a statement to RFE/RL, Alta Bank categorically rejected allegations that it, the Alta Group, or Davor Macura were involved in money laundering, corruption, the misuse of public resources, or electoral interference.
"No competent authority in any jurisdiction has made any finding or decision of the kind alleged against Alta Bank, Alta Pay Group or Mr Macura," the bank’s spokesperson said.
They said that Macura was not a politician, but a private entrepreneur whose business interests span banking, payment services, and other sectors.
They added that Alta Bank operates under the supervision of the National Bank of Serbia and applies the highest standards of anti-money-laundering controls and regulatory compliance.
"The effectiveness of these controls and compliance systems has been confirmed repeatedly through internal and external audits," the spokesperson said.
The bank added that it had seen no evidence of a sanctions request being submitted to the US State Department and would seek clarification from the relevant authorities.
Millennium Team, meanwhile, said it operates "transparently and in accordance with the law."
"We do not comment on inaccurate and unfounded claims. If they are published, we will protect our rights by pursuing the legal remedies available to us," the company said.
SEE ALSO:
How Kremlin Propaganda Is Spreading Through SerbiaZeljko Mitrovic, owner of Pink Media Group, responded to RFE/RL’s request for comment by sending a link to his Instagram post dated July 2, in which he congratulated the United States ahead of the country’s Independence Day.
"I am personally very happy that Serbia and America have entered a new era of rapid development of positive and friendly relations," he wrote.
Mitrovic also referred to a "brief setback in relations" between Serbia and the United States in the late 1990s, describing that era as having been marked by "misunderstandings and a lack of mutual understanding."
During that period, Mitrovic was placed on a US sanctions list over his ties to Milosevic's government and activities deemed to support it.
The sanctions included a ban on entry into the United States, as well as a prohibition on business and financial dealings with American companies and individuals.
At the time, he was also sanctioned by the European Union.
Milosevic, the former president of Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, died in custody at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia while on trial on war crimes charges.
Serbia has faced increasing scrutiny from members of the US Congress in recent months.
In August, Wilson and Democrat Bill Keating introduced a bill in the House of Representatives proposing measures against Serbia over democratic backsliding and its ties to Russia and China.
A bipartisan bill concerning Serbia was subsequently introduced in the Senate by Republican Chuck Grassley and Democrat Richard Blumenthal.
In addition to visa and financial sanctions against Serbian officials, the proposals call for suspending the US-Serbia Strategic Dialogue, a framework for high-level bilateral cooperation, or making its continuation conditional.
The Serbian authorities have not commented on the legislative proposals.
The United States and Serbia launched the dialogue in mid-July to strengthen cooperation on issues including security, energy, and trade.
As part of the initiative, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on energy infrastructure and regional energy security.