Did Predrag Šuković protect privileged businessmen in the „tender affair“?
An analysis of documentation once collected by Goran Mitrović, a member of the Special Police Department in charge of financial investigations, reveals that connected individuals participated in a rigged tender worth 8.7 million euros. However, due to his investigation, Mitrović was removed from the SPD by the will of Predrag Šuković, while businessmen who enjoy privileged status with the Government of Milojko Spajić were spared investigation by the Special State Prosecutor’s Office headed by Vladimir Novović
In Montenegro, business sometimes depends on law enforcement bodies - the police or the prosecution.
This is precisely what the case of former member of the Special Police Department, now suspended police officer Goran Mitrović, illustrates, as he was removed from his job precisely because he was investigating two influential businessmen.
As Television E previously reported, following a conversation on December 7, 2023, the head of the Special Police Department Predrag Šuković suspended Goran Mitrović and removed him from the case he had been working on for more than six months as an SPD officer responsible for financial matters.
A DEVELOPED SCHEME
Mitrović presented to Šuković - along with all collected evidence, registrations of connected companies and individuals - a corruption scheme involving, in addition to the former director of the Property Administration Blažo Šaranović, an employee of that administration Branko Danilović, as well as two female employees of the same administration, two businessmen - Milan Ivanović, majority owner of the company „Novi Volvoks“ and several other firms, and Veljko Lakočević, owner of the company „Koti“.
The media had already reported on a suspicious tender for the purchase of office space for Monstat and some other state agencies and institutions, which was announced on June 26, 2020, with a value of nearly 9 million euros.
It was established that, while the tender was ongoing, on July 7, 2020, an illegal change to the tender conditions was made: the term „grey phase“ was suddenly introduced instead of a completed building. Not only that, the office space was reduced while the number of parking spaces was increased. It turned out that these new conditions fully suited the company „Koti“, which later applied for the tender of the Property Administration.
Suspicions of corruption are further reinforced by the fact that, just 30 days before the tender was announced, the building had been registered under the ownership of „PC Volvoks“. Then - without any financial compensation - that building was transferred as property to the company „Koti“.
And just two months before the tender, the mortgage held by Erste Bank on that property was removed, at the request of Milan Ivanović, owner of „Novi Volvoks“.
PERSECUTION DUE TO THE INVESTIGATION
Instead of being satisfied with Mitrović’s investigation, Šuković, in December 2023, initiated actions against the SPD officer. With the help of the Minister of Interior Danilo Šaranović, as well as the head of the Police Directorate Lazar Šćepanović, he removed Mitrović from active police service. Special „support“ for this action was also provided by the then head of the National Security Agency, Boris Bato Milić, resulting in Mitrović receiving a negative security assessment…
In the meantime, the case files taken from Mitrović were put aside „in a drawer“.
However, when Goran Mitrović initiated proceedings against Predrag Šuković, accusing him of mobbing, it became clear that certain details would come to light.
- I uncovered one of the largest corruption affairs in the last 20 years, and the case was over 90 percent completed, with only a few more days of work needed to finalize it. However, Predrag Šuković evidently wanted to protect certain businessmen important to him, and then used his connections with the Minister of Interior Danilo Šaranović, Police Directorate Director Lazar Šćepanović, and the then head of the National Security Agency Boris Milić - Mitrović said at the hearing on January 31 held at the Basic Court, in his lawsuit against Predrag Šuković.
That is when the truth about the rigged tender began to unravel.
SSPO'S ACTION TO COVER UP TRACES
About fifteen days later, an action by the SPD and the Special State Prosecutor’s Office followed, during which former state official Blažo Šaranović was arrested. However, the investigation did not proceed in the direction of businessmen Ivanović and Lakočević, whom Mitrović had previously included in the illegal scheme. Instead, the Special State Prosecutor’s Office, based on findings from Šuković’s Special Police Department, summoned them as - witnesses.
What Ivanović and Lakočević testified is not known. However, from the case files of Goran Mitrović, it emerges that the companies „Koti“, which won the tender against the company „The Old Bakery“ from Budva, as well as the company „Novi Volvoks“, which previously owned the building purchased by the Government - are ownership-linked.
And that Milan Ivanović has a stake in all of them.
CHANGES IN THE CENTRAL REGISTER
Documentation collected by Goran Mitrović shows numerous changes and attempts to conceal ownership of certain companies.
Thus, on November 1, 2017, the company „The Old Bakery LLC“ was established, with Jovana Poleksić as founder. Less than a month later, on November 28, 2017, the first change was recorded – „Volvoks Engineering“ was registered as the owner. Six months later, Jovana Poleksić was removed from the register, Željko Vujović was entered as director, while the new owner became „Koti Group“, owned by Veljko Lakočević.
Milan Ivanović was registered as the owner of „The Old Bakery“ on December 24, 2018, with a capital investment of 1,600,000 euros. In the meantime, a fifth change was made, resulting in Duško Radunović being registered as the owner of „The Old Bakery“…
It is precisely Radunović who would later be arrested in the operation of the Special State Prosecutor’s Office, even though he did not win the tender?!
All these striking changes were meant to obscure the trail of ownership.
STATE MONEY INTO PRIVATE POCKETS
In the tender for Monstat premises, the company „Koti“, owned by Veljko Lakočević, won, while „The Old Bakery“ did not secure the contract.
However, as the documents show, both Lakočević and Ivanović effectively obtained the deal.
The Government of Duško Marković paid the first installment in its final days in November 2020. The remaining two installments, totaling nearly 8.7 million euros, were paid by the Government of Zdravko Krivokapić, in which the Minister of Finance was Milojko Spajić, now Prime Minister.
Perhaps it is merely a coincidence, but a news item from March 6 states the following: the Ministry of Public Works of the Government of Milojko Spajić accepted a 59.2 million euros bid from the company XEnergy for the construction of an 11-kilometer cable car from Lovćen to Cetinje.
The majority owner of XEnergy is Milan Ivanović, co-owner of „Novi Volvoks“.
Whether there is any behind-the-scenes arrangement here is unlikely to be revealed soon, as this should be investigated by the Special Police Department headed by Predrag Šuković, with orders to be issued by the Special State Prosecutor’s Office led by Vladimir Novović.
The truth, therefore, will have to wait.