Is it too late for the coast? Čedomir Popović and Vladislav Velaš arrested for illegal construction in Baošići

Two months after the company "Carine", in full view of the state, filled the sea every day and devastated the coast in order to build a new beach in Baošići, the first arrests have been made - the company owner Cedomir Cedo Popovic and Secretary for Urban Planning and Construction Inspection of the Municipality of Herceg Novi Vladislav Velas They were deprived of their liberty on suspicion of building without the necessary documentation, or allowing illegal construction in the heart of that part of Boka.

The key question is whether it is too late for the coast, which is under UNESCO protection, because during the daily filling of the sea, a stretch of over 14.000 square meters of the protected natural and cultural-historical area has been almost completely devastated, so it is questionable whether the beach, piers, and mandraci will ever return to their original state.

Vijesti has learned that arrests will continue due to the destruction of the coast in Baošići and the illegal construction of two floors on the hotel of the "Carine" company in Baošići, as it is expected that the investigation by the Basic State Prosecutor's Office and the Police Directorate will lead to all those responsible in the system - the Municipality of Herceg Novi, the Coastal Zone, the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property, who, despite the ban of the Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, approved the permits and allowed the ecological disaster.

The Police Directorate announced that the owner of the company "Carine" and the secretary for urban planning of the construction inspection in Herceg Novi were arrested on the order of the Basic State Prosecutor in Herceg Novi, and after a coordinated activity aimed at uncovering criminal acts of illegal construction, environmental protection and preservation of cultural heritage was carried out in cooperation with the Police Directorate during the investigative procedure.

The Police Directorate also filed four criminal charges against individuals and legal entities on suspicion of committing a total of six criminal offenses.

Popović was arrested as a responsible person for the company "Carine" on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of building a facility without a building permit and documentation, while Velaš was deprived of his liberty on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of abuse of official position. The criminal charge also covers the company "Carine".

"It is suspected that Č. P., in his capacity as an investor, initiated and carried out works on the construction of tourist complexes and hotels in Kumbor, Đenovići and Baošići, as well as works on the development of bathing areas, without fulfilling the legal requirements, contrary to the issued decisions on the prohibition of construction and without the prescribed technical documentation. It was also determined that the permitted dimensions and number of floors were exceeded in the rough works on several buildings," the statement states.

During the inspection on March 20, 2026, it was determined that several buildings in Baošići were constructed in rough construction works, and that, despite the imposed bans, the works continued.

The police stated in a statement that it is suspected that Popović, contrary to the Law on Spatial Planning and Construction of Facilities, began construction of the first and second phases of a tourist resort - a five-star hotel on cadastral plots in Kumbor and Đenovići, as well as the construction of facilities in Baošići, although the legal requirements for the work were not met.

In the text, UP states that the founder of the company "Carine" is under suspicion and that he continued to carry out works even after the decision to ban construction was issued.

"During the inspection, it was determined that the investor 'Carine' DOO and the contractor 'Piles Construction Company' DOO built seven buildings in rough construction works at the location in question, within three zones of the tourist complex, with several buildings exceeding the permitted number of floors and storeys. It was also determined that the applicant, Č. P., in his capacity as a responsible person, had begun the second phase of construction of a tourist resort - a five-star hotel, by carrying out preparatory works, although the legal requirements for these were not met," the police announced.

It is added that Popović is also charged with carrying out work on the development of the bathing area in Baošići contrary to the decision of the competent authority for the protection of cultural property, which ordered the suspension of work until a conservation project was developed and the necessary documentation and approvals were obtained.

"On-site inspections determined that the works continued, including filling the shoreline, reinforcing, concreting and other construction activities, which resulted in the occupation of part of the waters of the Bay of Kotor and the disruption of the natural environment, in an area that represents part of the protected zone of the natural and cultural-historical area of ​​Kotor, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List," the police said.

Permit issued illegally?

The police stated that a criminal complaint had been filed against Velaš on suspicion that, in his capacity as an official - the secretary of the Secretariat for Urban Planning and Construction Inspection of the Municipality of Herceg Novi, he had abused his official position and exceeded his authority by issuing a decision to issue a building permit for the development of a beach in Baošići, within the scope of the Special Purpose Spatial Plan for the Coastal Area of ​​Montenegro.

"There is a reasonable suspicion that the aforementioned permit was issued illegally, because the legally prescribed conditions were not met, i.e. the mandatory documentation was missing. In this way, it is suspected that it enabled the investor to acquire unlawful material benefits, to the detriment of the public interest and cultural heritage of Montenegro. The reported person is suspected of knowingly ignoring the submitted conservation conditions, although he was aware of their existence, including the Contract on the Lease of the Maritime Domain. In the decision-making process on the request for the issuance of a building permit, he was obliged to obtain the necessary consents, opinions and other evidence in accordance with special regulations, specifically the Law on the Protection of Cultural Heritage, which he did not do," the statement reads.

For the past two months, "Vijesti" has been reporting on the destruction of the coast and the illegal addition of floors to the future hotel by the "Carine" company, which is why they have also sought answers from the relevant institutions on whether they will stop the destruction of the protected zone of Boka.

From the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property, headed by the Minister Slaven Radunović, ten days ago, instead of a response, they sent "Vijesti" a protest and an explanation that there was no reason to answer the questions, when the text had already been published and it was stated that they had not answered the questions.

The investigation in this case was formed on February 18 of this year, and about twenty days later, the Special State Prosecutor's Office submitted files to the Basic State Prosecutor's Office (ODT) in Herceg Novi, pointing out irregularities regarding the work of the "Carine" company.

Sea embankment

In early February, the company "Carine" began filling the sea, in an area about the size of two football stadiums, in order to arrange a swimming area in front of the future hotel in Baošići, which they planned to open before the summer tourist season.

The works are being carried out rapidly despite the fact that the Administration for the Protection of Cultural Heritage banned the company from carrying out the works on February 11th of this year, but also ordered the "Carine" coast with the mandraci and pontoons to be restored to its original condition.

The administration has imposed a suspension until a conservation project is developed and the necessary permits are obtained.

The permit for filling the sea and concreting the coast in Baošići was issued by the Municipality of Herceg Novi, and on the last day of 2025, the Nature Protection Agency of Montenegro approved this incredible example of devastation of the coast and marine ecosystem, claiming that it allegedly did not require the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment Study.

Even after the Administration for the Protection of Cultural Property ordered the suspension of works to the company "Carine", they visited the construction site in Baošići again five days later where they determined that the ban on works was not being respected, but the inspectors concluded that the coastline was "permanently damaged" and that "the waters of the Bay of Kotor are being occupied by filling", which is why they requested that the competent inspectorates of the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property as well as the Ministry of Culture and Media carry out an inspection.

On that day, the company was also issued a decision to return everything to its original state because the works on the beach were destroying an integral part of the protected part of the coast inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In a series of articles, the news reported that something suspicious was hidden behind the entire project in Baošići, which was also indicated by the fact that the final project documentation was hidden from the Administration for the Protection of Cultural Heritage for months, and was not submitted to them for review and approval.

The devastation of the coast due to the construction of the beach in Baošići was recently noted by the Navigation Safety Inspection, which noted that the coastline had been changed to the extent that "valid nautical charts for that part of Boka Bay have become outdated", but also that the coastal maritime light, which was located on top of the now-buried old Baošići pier and mandrač, had lost its function.

The project of the company "Carine" in Baošići was supported by the Mayor of Herceg Novi Stevan Katić (Democrats), and indirectly by Radunović, who said at the session of the National Commission for UNESCO on February 20 that he had asked the competent inspection to check the building permit and that "it was determined that it was correct."

He and Katić then opposed the request of the Commission President, the Prime Minister Milojko Spajić to annul the disputed construction permit issued by "Carine", emphasizing that it is in the "public interest" to build a new swimming pool for which, according to Radunović, there is a relevant planning basis, and they warned that in the event of the permit being annulled, the investor could sue and seek large damages from the Municipality and the state.

The valid spatial planning documentation, as well as the valid Atlas of the Coastal Zone's beaches, do not provide a legal basis for planning and carrying out such a drastic intervention in space as turning the coast into a concrete-gravel surface of as much as 14.500 square meters, at the expense of the sea.

The construction of concrete plateaus in Montenegro is not recommended by the plan, because they cannot fit into the natural environment of the coasts and prevent the preservation of biodiversity in the coastal zone.

Yesterday, a few hours before the UP announced that they had made the arrests, the Prime Minister announced that work on the coast in Baošići must stop in order to protect the exceptional universal value of the world's property.

"There was no consent from the Administration for the Protection of Cultural Heritage for these works, nor was a conservation project approved," wrote Spajić, who was the first to disclose that criminal charges had been filed to determine responsibility in this case.

He also announced that he had informed UNESCO about everything, with the message: "The state is committed to protecting world heritage, in accordance with the recently adopted amendments to the law."

In that letter, it explains that the Government informed UNESCO that it reacted with the "greatest seriousness" to information about the works in Baošići, in the protected world heritage zone "Natural and Cultural-Historical Area of ​​Kotor".

The letter states that the cadastral plots in question are located within a protected buffer zone, which is why they are subject to a special regime of cultural heritage protection and spatial planning. The Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Property issued the conservation conditions back in August 2023, and the Ministry of Culture and Media rejected the investor's appeal in January 2024, thus confirming their validity.

The letter also points out that the Administration was not submitted a conservation project for approval, nor was consent given for the execution of works at that location. After learning that the works had nevertheless begun, on February 9, 2026, the Administration requested inspection supervision and clarification from the Municipality of Herceg Novi on the legal basis for the construction permit issued on January 13, 2026.

The State Protector requested that the building permit be annulled.

The Protector of Property and Legal Interests of the State, Bojana Ćirović, has initiated proceedings to annul the building permit, which was issued to the company "Carine" without the consent of the Administration for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and without a conservation project.

About twenty days ago, she forwarded the Initiative of the Administration for the Protection of Cultural Heritage to the SDT for evaluation, regarding the works in Baošići.

"Based on the Initiative, the Protector has sent requests to the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property, the Municipality of Herceg Novi and the Public Company for the Management of the Coastal Zone, that each of these bodies take measures within its jurisdiction and submit documentation resulting from the actions of these bodies, related to the specific situation. Therefore, the construction of two floors of the hotel without a permit, as well as the devastation of the coast and the failure to comply with conservation conditions, are disputable," Ćirović wrote in a response to Vijesti.

She stated that until about ten days ago, the response and documentation had only been forwarded to her from the Public Company "Morsko dobro".

"The Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, in its address to the Protector, stated that the matter concerns the illegal addition of two floors to the hotel in Baošići, and that efforts are being made to resolve this through a planning document, and in this regard, an urgent response has been requested from the relevant Ministry," stated Ćirović.

The Police Directorate remains firmly committed to a decisive fight against all forms of crime, with a special focus on combating corruption, environmental crime and illegal construction, with uncompromising protection of the environment, cultural heritage and the Montenegrin coast as a resource of strategic, economic and identity importance, including the preservation of the maritime domain, coastal zone and areas under special protection regimes, as well as the overall interests of the state and its citizens.

Popović asked the Management Board not to threaten investors

In February, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Zdenka Popović (Democrats) made a public appeal to the Administration for the Protection of Cultural Heritage not to visit buildings with a building permit that are in the final stages of construction and not to threaten investors with project suspension.

Popović, during the parliamentary debate on amendments to the Law on the Protection of the Natural and Cultural-Historical Area of ​​Kotor, stated that they had been approached by investors in the protected zone, whose projects were nearing completion.

"It so happened that the Administration's inspection started this morning and is already writing a decision to stop construction. I don't understand what it's about. Let's see how we can solve the problems, I'm not talking about legalization, I'm talking about buildings and owners who have permits with buildings in the final phase. I ask the Administration's inspection not to visit buildings that are in the final phase of construction and that have a building permit and not to threaten the owners that they will bring them a decision to stop construction," said Popović.