Will Lakušić leave with nearly 100,000 euros „in his pocket“?!

All the hypocrisy and ruthlessness of the current ruling elites is captured in a single sentence from a statement by the dismissed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Regional Water Supply Company for the Montenegrin Coast Zoran Lakušić – „the resignation was not submitted with the intention of leaving the position, but solely as a responsible and transparent act in circumstances where I was exposed to unfounded and false accusations of alleged abuses“.

Lakušić submitted his resignation as early as December 16, 2024, which Portal ETV disclosed in February 2025, but this information was officially confirmed only in April, when in the Parliament of Montenegro MP Boris Mugoša asked the Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development Damjan Ćulafić about developments in the Regional Water Supply Company, to which he replied that Lakušić’s resignation had not yet been considered.

During the mandate of the Government of Prime Minister Dritan Abazović he had also submitted a resignation, as we previously reported, not seriously and not with the intention of being dismissed, but to secure a new term - which he succeeded in doing at the time.

THE BATTLE FOR SEVERANCE PAY

In a Facebook post, Lakušić also wrote that he had withdrawn his resignation to the Government of Prime Minister Milojko Spajić after a year, about which, he says, „both the Government and the Board of Directors were duly informed“.

- Therefore, that resignation cannot be either a legal or factual basis for my dismissal, as falsely reported by Portal ETV and subsequently carried by other media - Lakušić wrote, falsely accusing us, not for the first time, of something that was not stated in the article.

However, this sentence contains the essence of Lakušić’s panic and uproar over his dismissal, but also, it seems, a message to the Government - that he will not leave without the substantial severance pay he secured for himself through his employment contract with the Regional Water Supply Company.

Portal ETV had access to Lakušić’s employment contract, which states that in the event of dismissal before the end of his term, he is entitled to severance pay amounting to 12 gross salaries.

It was previously reported that his salary is €4,600 net. Increased to the gross amount, this would mean he could receive severance pay of close to €100,000. In the case of resignation, however, according to some legal experts, Lakušić loses the right to severance pay.

Hence his claim that the resignation of December 16, 2024 „cannot be either a legal or factual basis“ for his dismissal.

Whether Lakušić will ultimately leave the Regional Water Supply Company with nearly 100,000 euros „in his pocket“ will be known soon.

THREE ILLEGAL DISMISSALS OF DIRECTORS

He was appointed to head this state-owned company in May 2021, shortly after pro-Russian and pro-Serbian socio-political elites came to power in Montenegro. In the party-based distribution of positions, the Democratic People’s Party of Milan Knežević received the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors of this company, while the Democrats of Aleksa Bečić obtained the position of director.

As early as July 2, Lakušić made his first illegal decision - the dismissal of then director Goran Jevrić, in order to free up the position for the Democrats, namely their candidate Josip Đurašković. However, Lakušić and Đurašković clashed almost from day one, so after less than a year, Đurašković was also dismissed in June 2022 - again unlawfully.

Borislav Ivanković was then appointed, but it soon became clear that Lakušić could not cooperate with him either, so he dismissed him as well, unlawfully, in November 2024. Krsto Radović, an official of the Democrats, was then unlawfully appointed as the new director.

However, these unlawful dismissals - due to which the Regional Water Supply Company will have to pay hundreds of thousands of euros in compensation to the dismissed directors - as well as the appointment of Radović, who did not meet the requirements, are not the only burdens that will remain with the company after Lakušić.

Last year, he also unlawfully issued dismissals, signed by Radović, to the head of the Legal and Administrative Affairs Sector Vladimir Ružičić, and the head of the Legal and Administrative Service Aco Ognjević. They are also seeking judicial protection of their labor rights.

Lakušić’s name has also been linked to an alleged attempt to rig a tender for a water filtration plant in favor of the company Exploring LLC, to which, according to employees, he intended to pay an advance of 700,000 euros even before the tender was announced.

In numerous open letters, employees accused him of nepotism, party-based employment, and questionable decisions and appointments of managers within the company…

Former executive director of the Regional Water Supply Company, Borislav Ivanković, previously told Portal ETV that Lakušić’s conduct should be investigated by the economic crime unit, and possibly, he added, there could also be grounds for the Special Prosecutor’s Office.

SHARP REACTION FROM THE DPP

Although Lakušić’s dismissal came shortly after his Democratic People's Party left the ruling coalition and moved into opposition benches, sources from the Government told Portal ETV that this was not the reason for his removal from the Regional Water Supply Company, but rather „to finally put an end to the chaos he created in the company“.

The DPP of Milan Knežević does not see it that way. Member of Parliament Vladislav Bojović stated yesterday that they strongly condemn Lakušić’s dismissal, emphasizing that it „represents the latest in a series of examples of political revenge after the DPP, consistently adhering to its program principles, withdrew its support and left the government of Milojko Spajić“.

The new Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Regional Water Supply Company for the Montenegrin Coast is Boro Lučić (Democrats), director of the Herceg Novi water utility.

Although the unlawfully appointed director Krsto Radović claims he will remain at the head of the company, sources from Portal ETV say he will be dismissed, „as the inspection unequivocally determined that he did not meet the requirements for the position“.