Former member of the Council of the PBS of Montenegro and head of the Media Center, Goran Đurović, signed a contract with the European Integration Office (the Office is part of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet) on 1 October 2018 and thus committed to providing consultancy services referring to the implementation of the Cross-Border Implementation Programme Montenegro – Bosnia&Herzegovina.
The contract in which Pobjeda daily had an insight into envisages that Đurović finishes all his assignments until 28 February 2019. It has also been defined that he should work 107 days maximum and his net per diem should amount to EUR 72.8, which means so far the govt has paid him EUR 7,789.6. Based on the provisions of the Law on physical person income tax, the Law on contributions for compulsory social insurance and as the contract put it, the European Integration Office is responsible for paying Đurović’s taxes and contributions.
But what’s even more interesting is the fact Đurović, being the NGO activist and head of the Media Center, actively supported protests of the Initiative “97,000 – Odupri se” (in English: Resist!) that called Prime Minister Duško Marković to quit!
Đurović: Freedom of speech is my constitutional right
“The contract on consultancy services with the European Integration Office was signed as part of the implementation of the Cross Border Implementation Programme. My reimbursement was paid from the EU funds so I didn’t take even a single penny from the Montenegrin citizens or the Government,” Đurović told Pobjeda daily.
He also added his role was to “contribute to more efficient implementation of this program”-
“My contracted assignments with any institution cannot affect the right to freedom of speech and expression, guaranteed by the Constitution.”
