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Mr. president, I was an exemplary officer for 33 years, honest and hard working, known as an opponent of layabouts and thieves. I spent 15 months in Montenegro as deputy commander of the TItograd (Podgorica) corps during the fighting around Dubrovnik and I gave my all so that my units would complete their missions successfully.

I also achieved excellent results as commander of the Nis and Leskovac corps, gained a good reputation with the corps, the local authorities and the people as well as a number of prominent friends.

Suddenly on TV: "sent into early retirement because of the needs of the service". No explanation!

I did what I am entitled to do under the law: I filed a law suit against your retirement decree with the supreme military tribunal. It's been over four months and no ruling. Many things have happened in the meantime including scandals in the Yugoslav Army (VJ). Friends keep asking me if I did anything wrong like Bora Ivanovic but without the right sponsors.

In order to stop the doubts about my good name and my family's I have decided to explain the reasons for my persecution as I see them.

The persecution began during my time in Montenegro when I imposed strict measures to prevent robbery and desertion by reservists around Dubrovnik.

My second conflict with Montenegrin president Momir Bulatovic started when I sent two units (a total of 850 men, Montenegrin reservists) to the Banija region in Serb held Krajina as ordered by my superior command.

My third conflict with Bulatovic was on April 8, 1992 at a special session of the Montenegrin presidency and government when I said it wasn't right to announce important political decisions on TV beforehand because that can result in grave consequences for front-line units. I said that his TV address when he said the Montenegrin army had nothing more to do around Dubrovnik and that it would be withdrawn soon resulted in the Ustashi withdrawing two elite units from around Neum and sending them to Kupres where they massacred Serbs.

After all that, the Montenegro leadership decided that I was unwanted and I had to leave the republican July 1992 even though I was to have taken command of the Podgorica corps.

I was threatened by Bulatovic's closest associates several times. Those threats of removing my rank were achieved. Bulatovic got a ban on my promotion to general for two years. When I did become general, probably because of some press reports in October 1993 and April 1994 about events in Montenegro, he managed to get me dismissed as Nis corps commander and retired early. So his revenge was long-term, precise and ruthless!

The decision to dismiss me was probably taken against the will of VJ commander general Perisic. That's the impression I gained during a short official meeting with him on June 1, 1994. He seemed distraught and lost, like a man who's lost his final battle. He finally managed to say: "What can I do, you were always a ball breaker and you still are. God help you!"

Since the VJ has a very strong Montenegrin lobby because almost every second general is Montenegrin (along with colonels they hold almost all the most important posts) and it was easy for Bulatovic to do anything he wanted, let alone get a general dismissed.

As commander of the Nis corps, in March 1994, I tried to institute disciplinary and criminal proceedings against some officers in the Pirot garrison over serious property crimes. However, the 3d army commander and his aides disagreed and prevented me from going ahead with the proceedings.

A witchhunt against me started, in an effort to find anything at all compromising. For months the 3d army security service was obsessed with that.

When I found out that they were working against me, I wrote a complaint to the 3d army commander and sent it to Perisic and the supreme defence council.

I never got a reply to my complaint although the VJ regulations say that they had to reply within a month. Instead, I found out on TV that I was being retired!

Mr. president, those are the only things that can be taken into account against me, if they are sins at all! My entire life and career are absolutely clean and can only serve to raise the reputation of the VJ. Incomparably worse people have stayed in the VJ longer than the law allows.

I remain firm in my request for your decree to be annulled and for me to be reinstated.