The Network for the Affirmation of the Non-Governmental Sector (MANS) submitted today to the Supreme State Prosecutor, Ranka Čarapić, an initiative to start the procedure for reviewing contracts and agreements related to the submarine cable project between Italy and Montenegro.
MANS also demanded that Čarapić take all measures within his competence to ensure full protection of the public interest.
MANS recalled that, in order to realize that project, representatives of the Ministry of Economy, the Montenegrin Electric Transmission System (CGES) and the Italian company Terna signed an Agreement on the purchase and sale of shares of the Montenegrin company through subscription from a new issue in the capital increase procedure on November 23 last year. .
The contract stipulated that Terna would buy the shares of CGES according to the pre-agreed offer system, on the basis of which the Italian company became the owner of about 22 percent of Montenegrin shares.
The initiative was submitted because there is a suspicion that in the process of negotiating and concluding agreements and contracts with Italian partners and CGES, the Ministry of Economy neglected the public interest
They explained that the initiative was submitted because there is a suspicion that in the process of negotiating and concluding agreements and contracts with Italian partners and CGES, the Ministry of Economy neglected the public interest.
This, as they claim in MANS, resulted in a situation where Montenegro entered into arrangements with Terna that are dominantly in the interest of that company.
"We informed Čarapić that from the content of contracts and agreements it is not possible to determine with certainty what economic benefits are for Montenegro, as well as why a significant part of its territory is exposed to devastation, especially parts that, at least on paper, are under special state protection ", announced from MANS.
They also informed Čarapić of the fact that the Government had guaranteed Terna in advance that the signed contracts and agreements would not be contested by any state body in Montenegro, thereby assuming powers that did not belong to it.
"It is this provision that makes the contract extremely protectionist with a clear intention to protect only one party in the business at all costs. Judging by what is written in the contracts, that party is not the citizens of Montenegro and their interests," MANS claims.
They also informed Čarapić of the fact that the Government had guaranteed Terna in advance that the signed contracts and agreements would not be challenged by any state body in Montenegro, thus assuming powers that did not belong to it.
MANS recalled that the contract states that Terna's investments in a new interconnection and Prenos' investments in the connected network infrastructure are carried out with the aim of implementing a strategic partnership, completing the construction of a new interconnection system and at least one additional network infrastructure and converting the transmission network of Montenegro into a platform for connecting the electricity systems of Italy and Southeast Europe.
"That quote from the contract reveals the basic motives for the implementation of the project, that is, it shows that Montenegro should serve as a base for the transfer of electricity to Italy, as well as that the project of laying the submarine cable and building the transmission line to Pljevlje is not sustainable, if it is not built yet one transmission line to a neighboring country", said representatives from MANS.
They called on Čarapić to, without delay, deal with the contracts in more detail, especially before the Government has already adopted the planning documentation, which will actually enable the realization of the project according to the instructions of the Italian partner.
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