William Helms: “for far too long, corruption has been allowed to run rampant in Southeastern Europe. Recent events have highlighted the…”

“for far too long, corruption has been allowed to run rampant in Southeastern Europe. Recent events have highlighted the citizens of Montenegro as being among the most beleaguered by the corruption of its government. Montenegro is the beneficiary of a proud, freedom loving people courageously standing against the tyranny of Slobodan Milosevic. However, they have not been well served by their government, whose actions have undercut United States assistance to Montenegro. For example, the President of Montenegro purchases two luxury aircrafts, during the Kosovo Crisis! Costing 26 to 30 million dollars or more, one plane was a Lear Jet, and the other a Cessna Citation X. President Djukanovic has been flown in these planes at the very same time the taxpayers of the United States were making emergency cash payments to help the Montenegrin Government pay its pensions and energy bills. The $26 million spent on aircraft would have averted electricity power shortages in Montenegro. These purchases, by the way, were not reported to the United States Government, the Montenegrin Parliament which is now investigating this matter, or, the citizens of Montenegro. It is now clear that the Government of Montenegro was keeping two budgets: one facilitated the flow of international assistance; the second apparently served the personal interests of senior government officials.”