Visit-Montenegro.com : McCain Met a Criminal in Kotor

Podgorica – Montenegro is, once more, among top-stories in the US media. This time, as the place where US presidential candidate, John McCain met up with Italian criminal Raffaello Follieri on 30 August 2006 in Kotor.

“Nation”, the oldest US weekly, which considers itself as a “forerunner of the leftist policies”, ran a photograph last night, taken in Kotor’s marine, which shows McCain coming aboard a yacht “Celine Ashley”, which has been rented by Follieri.

In front of him, picture shows Rick Davis, one of the owners of US lobbying company “Davies and Manafort”, shaking hands with Follieri. Behind him, picture shows his - at that time – girlfriend, movie star Ann Hathaway.

At the moment, Davis is one of managers of McCain’s presidential campaign. He also ran McCain’s Republican Party campaign in 2000, when he ran against George Bush.

Following their engagement during the referendum campaign in Montenegro back in 2006, representatives of the company “Davis and Manafort” also assisted Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) during its’ campaign for Parliamentary elections held on 10 September 2006.

“Nation” quotes “Vanity Fair” reporting that Follieri rented this yacht for the month of August, reminding that the “leading daily newspaper, Vijesti, earlier reported that during McCain's visit in 2006 he celebrated his birthday aboard ‘Celine Ashley.’”

“A few months after McCain's yacht party, Follieri strengthened his ties to McCain's orbit by retaining Rick Davis's well-connected Washington lobbying firm and offering Davis both an investment deal and help in securing the Catholic vote for McCain's presidential bid”, “Nation” writes.

Follieri, who posed as Vatican chief financial officer in order to win friends and investments, pleaded guilty Wednesday in a Manhattan district court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering.

US media report that Follieri admitted to misappropriating at least $2.4 million of investor money and redirecting it to foreign personal bank accounts that were disguised as business accounts.
“At the time he met McCain, Follieri was adept at collecting friends in powerful places and using those connections to attract investments in projects which later turned out to be bogus. His ties to Bill Clinton and his entourage have been well-documented”, “Nation” claims, adding that this has been the first time McCain and Follieri have met.
This magazine finds “a mistery” the fact that “Follieri’s boat came to be docked in Montenegro on McCain's birthday”, adding that “the yacht had been anchored there for several days before McCain's arrival, and only sailed away after McCain boarded.”
McCain stayed in Montenegro between 29 and 31 August 2006, as the head of the delegation of US Congress.
On the day when he met Follieri, local reporters have been told that he went aboard the yacht “Celine Ashley” to visit his “friends from Florida.” It has also been noted that, in the evening hours, there was a “cocktail party to mark Senator’s 70th birthday.”
McCain’s associates have later confirmed his meeting with Follieri, insisting, however, that this was just “socializing and there was nothing more to it”. They told “Daily News” that “Follieri was just one of his acquaintances.”
How Wonderful Montenegro Is
Prior to his visit to Follieri, six-member delegation of US Senators, headed by McCain, cruised around Boka Bay and had a tour around the Old Town. They have been escorted by, at that time, by US Council in Podgorica, Arlene Feril and Montenegrin Foreign Minister, Miodrag Vlahovic.
Prior to this, McCain had met with the representatives of the opposition parties and Speaker of the Parliament, Ranko Krivokapic. A day later, on 31 August, McCain headed the delegation during their talks with president, Filip Vujanovic at his residence in Cetinje.
On this occasion, Krivokapic said that the “visit of US Senators to Montenegro was a testimony of good friendly and strategic relations between two countries.”
Although he headed this delegation, McCain made no statements at the press conference which took place after their meeting with Vujanovic. Saxby Chambliss addressed the journalists.
“How wonderful is the country in which the people of Montenegro live in.
We firmly promise that, upon our return, we shall act as the best representatives of your country’s Chamber of Commerce in the USA and that we shall acquaint American investors with opportunities to do business in your country”, Chambliss said on that occasion.
Representatives of US consulting company “Davis and Mafort” escorted McCain’s delegation. One of the owners of this agency is Rick Davis.
(12 September 2008)

By: Nđ. R.