In a recent, exclusive episode of his show, Boris Tomašič hosted Miloš Milović. This guest is known to the public as Prime Minister Golob’s former informal security advisor. In the past, he was also involved in business dealings with Aleksander Čeferin, for which he was convicted after a long and tough legal battle. In his first (published) interview, he revealed the truth about Čeferin and his activities. The President of the Union of European Football Associations – UEFA is apparently willing to “sacrifice” even his closest friends for his own benefit.
This is not the first time Miloš Milović has appeared in the media. Before his appearance on Nova24TV, he was interviewed by the newspaper Večer, but the interview never found its way into the public domain. “After all the promises made by the journalist and the reporter that this interview, which I gave to them with my lawyer there as a witness, would be published, unfortunately, in the end, due to the intervention of Aleksander Čeferin himself, it was not published,” he said.
When asked by the presenter how this was possible, since Čeferin is the president of UEFA after all, and therefore it is not understandable why he would want to prevent a publication of the said interview in the newspaper Večer, Milović replied that this was a question for someone else. He also pointed out that according to the principle of media freedom (if there really is such a thing), no one should prevent the publication of this interview – not Čeferin, nor the Prime Minister himself. In order to prevent the publication of the interview, both the owner of the newspaper Večer and the journalists were threatened.
Milović explained on the programme how he got into legal trouble. As he said, at first, he did not even understand why the judicial system was prosecuting him. First, he was acquitted, but then the verdict was overturned. “I was horrified at this referral, because it was literally an order saying that Milović should be convicted,” Miloš Milović, a former adviser to the board of the Čeferin Law Firm, explained what was happening. He expressed his belief that UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, who was once his personal and family friend, was responsible for what had happened. Today, Milović is no longer in contact with Čeferin, and in this context, he pointed out: “How could you stay in contact with someone who wants to put you in jail?”
It said: “Milović must be convicted”
Milović has been finally convicted. “It is true, I am not running away from this, I am still seeking justice in court, I can say that I was literally pushed into a story, the police never treated me as a suspect in this story, the proceedings started at the District Court in Ljubljana,” Milović said, pointing out that he had been to the hearings as many as 25 times. He explained that he was acquitted the first time by Judge Gorazd Fabijančič, but then prosecutor Boštjan Jeglič appealed, and a panel headed by Senior Judge Igor Mokorel overturned the decision and ordered the replacement of the judge, which was crucial in the subsequent proceedings. “I was horrified at this referral, because it was literally an order saying that Milović should be convicted,” the interviewee said. He was acquitted again after further hearings, until prosecutor Jeglič intervened again, and Milović was found guilty.
Asked by the presenter why Čeferin would have any desire, motive, or reason to prevent the publication of his story, Milović replied that this was a question for Čeferin. The latter, he said, had labelled him a liar and a criminal. Milović went on to say that he was employed by the Čeferin Law Firm, showing a picture of the board from 2008, when he was an adviser to the board.
What actually happened?
Tomašič summarised the case in which Milović found himself: “It was supposedly a fictitious transaction between two companies as compensation for a payment to the law firm Čeferin, and one of the people involved allegedly gave 120,000 euros of this payment to Aleksander Čeferin, as the witness testified to the National Bureau of Investigation (NPU).” Milović explained that his biggest problem in all of this was the fact that he had no idea what was going on, which made his defence extremely difficult.
In the first indictment, he was accused of going to construction sites and organising the execution of the works, and was alleged to have received all the money, amounting to around 390,000 euros. He pointed out: “I didn’t even know what it was about. All the time, Aleksander Čeferin also lied to me, saying that he knew nothing about the matter, that it all seemed strange to him.” He added that it was only after the fourth indictment that Leon Kostiov told a new story, namely that he himself had wanted to harvest certain budget funds. He already knew in June that he would have thousands of euros left in December, so he asked for advice from Aleksander Čeferin, who recommended “a guy, and the guy was Nihad Bešić.” In relation to this, Milović said: “The interesting thing is that Nihad Bešić and Leon Kostiov were both business partners of the Čeferin Law Firm, and they were both working for Aleksander Čeferin, and at the very time when all of this was going on. Meanwhile, I was not working at the Čeferin Law Firm at the time.”
1 percent is exactly 390,000 euros
Tomašič explained that they were talking about Kostiov, the director of the railway construction company, and Bešič, Director of the company MB Engineering, who allegedly concluded a fictitious deal for 390,000 euros. Milović commented on the fact that he himself happened to be on the premises of the railway company where Kostiov was. According to Milović, the conversation happened to relate to this very topic at the time of the trial, and, as he pointed out, that was the first time he knew what it was all about. At that time, Kostiov said that he “did not know why he was trying to spare Aleksander Čeferin.” Milovic pointed out that “I was surprised when he said that to me. Then he told me that this story was about a deal that should have gone to Slovenian Railways (ŽGP) and that there was a problem in the state audit. They were advised that lawyers would sort it out.”
They reportedly went to a lawyer who asked for 3 percent, after which they went to Čeferin, with whom they settled for 1 percent. “That is exactly the 325,000 euros plus VAT, which amounts to 390,000 euros,” Milović pointed out. He claimed that Čeferin “obviously arranged for this matter to be settled.” He went on to point out that “if we had issued an invoice for this, the case would have been closed, I would not have been convicted, and we would not even be discussing this matter right now, and that would have been it.”
How did the money reach Čeferin if no invoice was issued?
“See, apparently, they then agreed that the railways would provide certain works and Čeferin would have to find a builder, and this builder was the one who was renovating his premises at the time at the Čeferin Law Firm – Nihad Bešić,” Milović explained. He added: “They did issue some invoices, but then the problem was that Bešić issued invoices without VAT. In the railways, Nada Drobne Popović, who was the General Manager at the time, paid the invoices, and then, of course, her subordinates realised when they demanded the VAT back that something was wrong.” Finally, he pointed out that, in all likelihood, Bešić then withdrew the money and passed it on to Čeferin.
Čeferin is lying
Milović called Čeferin’s claims that he did not know Kostiov and Bešić a lie. This was proved by private conversations with Milović, in which they admitted to him that this was true, and which others had also told him. He pointed out that he could prove it. “He had a signed business cooperation agreement with Kostiov, Kostiov himself said that he went to him, he went to him before the court, Kostiov himself said that Čeferin referred him to me precisely for this matter, and Bešić renovated his premises,” explained Milović, who believes that there is still material evidence to be found there.
Milović does not blame Kostiov for the situation. However, he pointed out, “If this commission had been paid, as invoices and taxes are paid today, I would not be here today to discuss this issue, I would not have been convicted, and nothing would have happened.” He is convinced that he was “sucked into this by Aleksander Čeferin”.
He and Čeferin were family friends
What is even more shocking for Milović is that he and Čeferin were friends, even family and personal friends. “I did an internship with him for a year, as you have seen,” he said, implying that few people can get into the inner circle of the Čeferin Law Firm, recalling the photo. Milović does not understand why Čeferin turned against him, but thinks it was because of too high expectations. Today, he is no longer in contact with him. He noted, rhetorically: “How could you stay in contact with someone who wants to put you in jail?”
When asked by Tomašič whether he had ever “gotten an envelope and taken it to Čeferin,” Milović replied that he had never taken an envelope from Bešić, but that he had delivered two envelopes in the past – one to Luka Zajc and the other to Aleksander Čeferin. In relation to this, he assumes that “there was probably money inside.” Asked by the presenter whether it was “normal to pay a lawyer in cash,” Milović replied that the latter depended on “what the matter is about”.
He is prepared to confront Čeferin
Tomašič warned Milović that Čeferin would probably deny all his claims, but Milović stressed that he was ready to confront him on the matter, “even with the help of a lie detector.” He added: “I even invite him, publicly invite him, to any television, not just yours.” In response to this, Tomasič stressed that he would be happy to host Aleksander Čeferin on his show, in order to clarify the circumstances.
He hopes that, like Kositov and Bešić, he will be able to do community service
Milović was sentenced to one and a half years in prison, while Kositov and Bešić were sentenced to two years, with the possibility of commuting their prison sentences or completing them through community service, which they must perform for 480 hours. Milović applied for the same alternative, but his application was not granted. “After a brilliant career as a police officer, a successful lawyer, who has contributed to the independence of this country, I stepped into the shoes of crime in 2008,” he pointed out, referring to the time when he was employed by the Čeferin family.
Asked why he was still not serving his prison sentence, Milović explained that he had lodged an appeal with a higher court and that a decision on his appeal would be made shortly. “I hope I won’t have to; I hope I will get community service like them – Kostiov and Bešić – it would be fair,” Milović said, adding that he will continue to seek justice. “I have also submitted a request for a review to the Supreme Court, and I am waiting for a decision,” he pointed out. He was initially accused of taking 390,000 euros, but was eventually convicted for 7,000 euros, which were allegedly given to him by Bešić. The latter pointed this out solely for the sake of negotiating with his lawyer, and it is not true, but according to Milović, Bešić said during the hearing that he also gave 120,000 euros to Čeferin. He also refuted the claim that Čeferin was questioned as a witness.
Of course, Aleksander Čeferin was not questioned, Milović said, explaining that this was in 2016, when Čeferin was running for UEFA President. “If he was involved in a judicial process, this candidacy would not have happened, and if there was justice, he would not be able to be the UEFA President today,” he pointed out. Milović himself proposed him for questioning, but Željko Pavlica asked him to withdraw his name from the hearing, which he did. He was later proposed by the judge, who did not insist on the invitation, as Milović was subsequently acquitted.
Unrelated to the issue of the court proceedings, Tomašič asked the guest if he knew anything about the “controversial” certificate from Litija that Čeferin had received in order to run for the UEFA presidency, as he was allegedly accused of having insufficient experience. Milović replied that Čeferin himself would have to explain this.
Tomašič asked him what everyone was most interested in
Tomašič also touched on a topic that was one of the topics in the National Assembly, namely the insinuation that Milović works for the Prime Minister, Robert Golob. Golob initially denied this, but later admitted it. Tomašič asked Milović directly: “Tell us, what did you do for Robert Golob or for the government?”
The fact that Golob did not give a direct answer to the Slovenian Democratic Party (Slovenska demokratska stranka – SDS) MP Žan Mahnič‘s question at the time also surprised Milović, who says he was surprised by the Prime Minister’s answer. Milović explained that although Golob had subsequently given a more specific answer on the POP TV television, there had been a lot of talk about him, including MP Mahnič’s description of him as a “criminal”. “I have to say this, the next day, we were hunting together, and he didn’t even know who I was. I also did not know that he had said what he said in the National Assembly, because the question is, how things would have worked out there if I had known,” Milović explained, adding that he and MP Mahnič had talked to each other afterwards and that he had “somehow softened the matter”.
Milović also spoke about Golob
Milović said that he has known Golob for more than ten years and that he “also worked for him at the Gen-I energy company, in corporate security.” He pointed out that he has been working on the latter since he left the civil service, and more specifically, his area of activity is consultancy in this field. He explained that in January 2022, Golob asked him for help when he decided to run for the national elections, and Milović agreed. Tomašič tried to extract from Milović an answer of great interest to the public, namely what he did in meetings in the presence of ministers, especially if it is true that he has no contract to work in the government. Milović seemed to avoid giving a direct answer, pointing out that he saw nothing wrong in sharing his experience with the government. Milović explained that Golob had already been provided with police protection at the time of his election. “At that time, he had a regular Chief of Security and regular security. Later on, I got a call from the Secretary-General, who I knew from before, Barbara Kolenko Helbl, who is the Secretary-General of the Government, and she called me and asked me about this security, how we used to do things when we were protecting Dr Janez Drnovšek. I told her what the system was like at the time,” said Milović, who added that he had also explained this to Golob. He did not deny meeting with ministers, saying that he had also received a call from the former Minister of Health, Danijel Bešič Loredan, and that he had met the former Minister of the Interior, Tatjana Bobnar, several times, but it happened back when she was still a police officer. When asked whether he knew anything about the allegedly controversial Gen-I business, he replied that he knew nothing, and went on to briefly describe his time working for the company in question.
On the “stolen” identity in Romania and the meeting with ministers
Tomašič then asked Milović a provocative question, referring to the fact that Golob allegedly had his identity stolen in Romania while Milović was in charge of corporate security. Milović then asked, “when was that?” To which Tomašič replied, “I don’t know either, because he didn’t say.” Milović claimed that he and Golob have no contact at the moment and that they have never “worked together,” but this is not really a satisfactory answer, especially in view of Milović’s admission that he has met several ministers and also the former Director-General of the Police, Boštjan Lindav. In reference to this, Milović pointed out that Lindav himself had given his consent for Milović’s presence at the meeting. “Nothing bothered him at the time, but then, three or four months later, he wrote that everything bothered him,” Milović explained, adding that he had tried to explain to Lindav the advantages of the criminal police’s method of security, because, as he said, Lindav had this type of background.
Milović described his work as one in which he first takes care of the security situation, in all types of security. “It’s literally the company’s security policy, you look at how things stand, in all segments, then I actually look at each segment separately, see where there are possibilities for improvements and where there are not, and then suggest ways in which improvements could be made,” Milović explained, stressing that this also boils down to resources and how to save money efficiently. He explained that he does this before drawing up the contract, as this is how he tries to “convince” the company to cooperate.
“Thank you again, just this, thank you again for your courage, if I may say so, for calling me in person, because for two years, nobody dared to do that,” Milović concluded. Tomašič jokingly remarked that he “did not find it so terrible.” He also told Aleksander Čeferin that he was “always welcome in this studio if he wants a confrontation.” You can watch the full programme (in Slovenian) at the following link: https://youtu.be/md6Y3UohLc8
T. B.
