English

Radjenovic, Marovic, Ticic, Klisic, Samardzic and Medigovic in detention

Investigation judge of the Higher court in Podgorica Radomir Ivanovic held a hearing late last night of the president of municipality of Budva Lazar Radjenovic, former vice president Dragan Marovic, councellor of the prime minister Aleksandar Ticic, and Novak Klisic, Miodrag Samardzic, Milenko Medigovic and Goran Bojanic, suspects for the abuse of public service position, and decided today to sentence to detention of 30 day everyone but Goran Bojanic. Bojanic was released to defend himself from freedom. 

Lawyers of the suspects said that they will complain about the detention sentence. 

We would like to remind you that former president of Budva Rajko Kuljaca who was arrested the day before yesterday with 13 other suspects negotiated with special prosecutor Milivoje Katnic about getting the status of a cooperating witness.

Media published that Kuljaca received the status of a cooperating witness but prosecution didn’t confirm or deny this information, justifying it by the secrecy of the investigation process. 

<<<<Kuljaca protected witness, Milena Marovic Bogdanovic freed<<<<

Kuljaca was released to freedom last night around 8 pm, and Prosecution will ask the police to assign him a protection, because it is possible that his safety is endangered. 

Early in the morning yesterday, upon the request of the Chief Special Prosecutor, the police arrested current and former presidents of the Municipality of Budva, Lazar Radjenovic and Rajko Kuljaca, as well as the daughter and brother of the Vice President of the DPS, Svetozar Marovic, Milena Marovic-Bogdanovic and Dragan Marovic, and the current advisor to the Government, Aleksandar Ticic. In this action the officials of the Municipality of Budva Novak Klisic, Snezana Scepanovic, Milojka Kovacevic, Miodrag Samardzic, Milenko Medigovic, Danijela Marotic and Dragica Popovic were also arrested, as well as the former Director of the company “Trade Unique”, Goran Bojanic, whereas his colleague, Djordje Pavlovic, is still at large.

These arrests have been the result of an investigation started four years ago, when it was suspected that the management of the municipality of Budva and the private-owned company “Trade Unique” had made a deal, by which, according to the Prosecution’s evidence, €8 million detriment was caused to the Municipality.

<<<<Arrested Lazar Radjenovic, Milena Marovic Bogdanovic, Dragan Marovic, Rajko Kuljaca, Aleksandar Ticic…<<<<

Namely, Municipality Budva received around 4.500 m2 of garage space in the luxury centre TQ Plaza as a compensation for giving the business premises at this location to the aforementioned company.

Thus, given that the market value of residential and business premises was much higher than the one of the garage space received by the Municipality in a dubious way, they were suspected of causing the €7,953,408 detriment.

The suspects, as members of the commission that was in charge of allocating the premises between the Municipality of Budva and the company “Trade Unique”, signed several Annexes to the initial contract, the last of which stipulated that the Municipality of Budva should receive only 15% instead of initially planned 25% of premises in the TQ Plaza.

Another grounds for the prosecution of the arrested officials were constructing the platform on the beach of Jaz in 2007, on the eve of the concert of the music diva Madonna, when the contract for the works was granted to the private-owned company “Gugi Commerce”, the investor of which was Branislav Savic, allegedly contrary to the legal procedures and tenders. Thus, as the Prosecutors believe, over €2 million detriment to the Municipality of Budva was caused.

Vikend newspaper wrote that although there was no official confirmation last night, it is speculated that the target of the prosecution is president of the political council of DPS Svetozar Marovic, whose closest family is officially among suspects in the investigation. According to unofficial information, Kuljaca spoke about Marovic’s involvement in controversial cases and it is believed that he is the next one to be brought in for a hearing. 

Prosecution gave up yesterday on the proposal for sentencing Marovic’s daughter Milena Bogdanovic Marovic to detention, and Marovic son Milos’s mother-in-law Dragica Popovic, as well as Snezana Scepanovic, Milojka Kovacevic and Danijela Marotic, after which they were released to freedom. 

Also, prosecution ordered the arrest of Djordje Pavlovic who is on the list of suspects but je hasn’t been found yet. 

Aqua park’s turn

Prosecution is currently leading a couple of more investigations where Kuljaca is a primary suspect.  One of these is, according to unofficial information, already prepared for processing. It is the failed construction of Aqua park on Toplis hill, in which guarantees to a private company were given by Municipality of Budva, which eventually paid the price itself. Two investigations are also ongoing in Kotor’s prosecution office that will be taken over by Special prosecution. 

Send this to a friend