Montenegro Charges Former Govt Officials With Abuse of Office

Montenegrin government members at a parliament session in November 2016. Photo: Government of Montenegro

Special State Prosecution spokesperson Vukas Radonjic said that the suspects, who at the time were members of a government commission, violated internal procedures on loan repayment agreements with state officials.

"Without a plan and the approval of State Property Management [an institution that oversees state property], the government commission granted housing loans to improve living conditions for 119 public officials and administration employees, in the amount of between 17,500 and 40,000 euros [each]," Radonjic told media.

Their actions cost the state budget 2.6 million euros, he added.

Those charged include former ministers and opposition Democratic Party of Socialists MPs Predrag Boskovic, Dragica Sekulic and Suzana Pribilovic, plus Social Democrat MPs Ivan Brajovic and Damir Sehovic.

Former government officials Budimir Segrt, Sanja Vlahovic, Suad Numanovic, Osman Nurkovic, Drazen Milickovic, Jelena Radonjic and parliamentary general secretary Aleksandar Jovicevic were also charged with abuse of office.

According to the indictment, from 2016 to 2020, the commission approved 119 loans that were over the legal limit of 15,000 euros.

When the former officials were questioned on June 6, they denied violating the legal procedures.

"This is political pressure on opposition parties and officials, created by outgoing Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic. As members of the commission, we didn't commit any illegal act," the former head of the commission, Predrag Boskovic, told media.

Abazovic filed a criminal complaint about abuse of office by the former commission in October last year.

He said on...