AIDE: SOME CIRCLES, DISAPPOINTED WITH POLLS, ACCUSE DJUKANOVIC OF SMUGGLING

PODGORICA, Nov 2 (Hina) - Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic's foreign affairs advisor on Friday said the international community was again accusing Djukanovic of the smuggling of cigarette, as it was not glad to see that Djukanovic's option for independent Montenegro won the recent elections. #L# The international community was accusing Djukanovic as it was dissatisfied with the election's results, said the advisor, Milan Rocen, responding to the news item, released by the Reuters on Friday, that the European Union is accusing R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings Inc. -RJR.N- of involvement in money-laundering scams -- some linked to the family of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein --that cheated the EU out of excise tax revenue on cigarettes. According to the news agency, the suit was filed by the EU late Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The Union accused the maker of Winston and Camel of selling cigarettes to crime syndicates that were trying to launder the proceeds of illegal activities. The complaint cites the involvement of organised crime in Italy, Switzerland, the United States, Turkey, Cyprus and Montenegro, according to a source familiar with the case. "Throughout the 1990s, huge amounts of money were paid to public officials in Montenegro and elsewhere to guarantee the security of the cigarettes and the illicit funds that were passing through the Balkans," the court deposition reads. Commenting on the allegations, Rocen said "somebody in the international circles is again disappointed with the election's results in Montenegro," and he described the accusations as "a thinly-disguised political scenario." "This is a story from the times when fierce pressure used to be exerted on Djukanovic because of the project of the independent Montenegro. This is obviously not only for the money laundering but also as an attempt to ease somebody's conscience in Europe, where they label the transport of cigarettes though their country as transit, while through Montenegro they brand it as smuggling," the advisor said. He wondered why world power-wielders had not yet responded to Djukanovic's call to show at least a small peace of evidence to corroborate their allegations. He added that Djukanovic had to date refuted all the allegations, and the best answer to such claims was given by Montenegrin citizens who expressed support to Djukanovic at the recent parliamentary polls. (hina) ms