The Center for Civic Education (CCE) has determined that, according to data from the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (ASK), out of 138 high-ranking officials - members of the Government, MPs and mayors of municipalities - 14 of them, or about 10 percent, have registered firearms, a total of 21 pieces (pistols and rifles), some of which were acquired by purchase, and others received them through inheritance or gifts.
The most armed are among MPs (six), followed by mayors (five) and ministers (two).
The statement signed by CCE program associate Nikola Mirković states that he has no information on whether any public officials have returned such weapons as part of the campaign by the Ministry of the Interior and the Police Directorate, through which citizens are invited to return undeclared weapons.
When it comes to the executive branch, firearms are owned by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Vladimir Joković (SNP), who has declared an inherited Beretta pistol from 1975, and the Minister of Regional Investment Development and Cooperation with NGOs Ernad Suljević (BS), who also has a declared inherited CZ 27 7,65 mm pistol from 1980.
At the local level, the presidents of five municipalities - Bijelo Polje, Kolašin, Plužine and Petnjica - have registered firearms that they have mostly purchased.
Slobodan Delić (SNP), the mayor of Plužine, owns a carbine from 1985 acquired through a gift contract, and Samir Agović (DPS), the mayor of Petnjica, purchased a CZ M70 pistol from 1997.
Petko Bakić (Democrats), the mayor of Kolašin, purchased a Zastava CZ 999 pistol, as well as a Zastava Arms of unknown caliber, and it is assumed that it is a rifle.
The most firearms were reported by the mayor of Šavnik, Jugoslav Jakić (DPS), and the mayor of Bijelo Polje, Petar Smolović (DPS).
Jakić inherited a Zastava semi-automatic pistol from 1988 and a Zastava Arms rifle, also from 1988. Through the purchase, he acquired a 1988 Czech Arms semi-automatic pistol and a 8 MAUSER 1945MM hunting rifle.
Smolović owns two pistols, a Zastava CZ999 Luger 9mm from 2015 and a Glock 43 9mm from 2016, as well as a Franchi Affinity 12 GA X 3" hunting rifle from 2019, all of which he acquired by purchase.
The CCE states that the most numerous among the armed MPs from PES are Gordan Stojović, Miodrag Laković and Seid Hadžić, and they acquired all their weapons by purchase. Stojović bought a semi-automatic weapon, namely a hunting carbine - Benelli Argo e 30-06 sprg from 2021 and a Tanfoglio Force ProF 40 SV pistol from the same year. Laković bought a GLOK 19 caliber 9MM in 2015, and Hadžić a Beretta px4 storm from 2004 of the same caliber.
Next comes the ZBCG - NSD parliamentary group, with two armed deputies. Dejan Đurović (NSD) owns a Zastava CZ 88 9mm pistol from 1991, acquired through purchase, and Velimir Đoković (NSD) inherited a Zastava M70 pistol of the same brand.
Nikola Milović from (DPS) bought a 2005 Taurus revolver.
CCE appeals to all public officials to encourage citizens to disarm and change some bad practices when it comes to attitudes towards weapons, through a proactive approach and their own example, especially considering all the tragic events we have witnessed in Montenegro.
Note: When collecting and processing data from the ASK website, an error occurred regarding the asset file of MP Aleksandra Vuković Kuč, whose data was permuted with the data of another official with the same name and one of the same surname - Aleksandra Kuč, for which the MPs Vuković-Kuč apologized from the CCE. The information about the declared weapon, the legal holder of which is the official's husband, refers to the former Director General of the Ministry of Education, Aleksandra Kuč, and not to MP Aleksandra Vuković Kuč.
Bonus video:
