The Prosecution has been scouting Možura for three years, they do not mention the investigation in Malta

On October 19, 2017, the Special State Prosecutor's Office (STP) opened a case related to the construction of wind power plants (VE) on Možura, and the investigation and expert examination of the documentation is still ongoing, it was stated in the answer of the chief special prosecutor Milivoj Katnić to the question of Demos MP Miodrag Lekić and Neđeljko Rudović as far as the investigation in this case has come.

Wind farms near Ulcinj have been built in the meantime. The procedure for their construction was initiated in 2007 by BWP Montengero, behind which were Vladimir Popović from Budva and Karlas Kol Palou from Spain, and the Spanish company "Fersa Energia Renovables".

Last week, through the parliamentary service, Lekić and Rudović sent an inquiry to SDT and a series of questions to Prime Minister Duško Marković regarding this affair.

In Malta, the government fell and the first indictments

As a result of the affair in Malta, a lawsuit was filed against the businessmen and officials of that country involved in the construction of the wind power plant on Možura due to financial malfeasance, corruption, and the murder of the journalist Dafna Caruana Galicija, who was investigating the case. Due to this affair, at the beginning of this year, the Government of Malta also fell.

Maltese police are cooperating with Europol in an investigation into claims that businessman Jorgen Fenek's company made millions from a wind farm project near Ulcinj. Fenek was also accused of murdering Galicia. The media from Malta announced ten days ago that in the investigation into its liquidation, traces of money lead to Montenegro, namely the wind power project on the Možura hill. Galicia was killed on October 16, 2017, in a bomb explosion under her car.

Since mid-2017, "Vijesti" has published several articles about the controversial project, after the court proceedings began in which Popović and Palou sued "Fersa" and its related companies for not paying them a commission for the contracted work with the Government regarding the construction of the hydropower plant. . In that procedure, Popović and Palou claimed that they were deceived and pointed to the possible corruption of high state officials.

"Fersa" got the job in partnership with the company "Čelebić" from Podgorica in 2010. In the contract, the state undertook to purchase the entire production for the next 12 years at a price of 96 euros per megawatt. The annual production is estimated at around 100.000 megawatts, which is a total of 115,2 million for the entire period. After getting the job, "Čelebić" leaves the consortium, and the Spaniards sell the job to "Enemalta" and its partners. The largest owner of Enemalta is the State of Malta.

They mention "Time UP" for the first time

The Montenegrin Prosecutor's Office, according to Katnić's answer, is investigating the business of companies connected to "Fers", while they do not mention the investigation in Malta and the new owners of wind farms.

"In the SDT, a case was formed regarding the verification of financial transactions of the legal entities "Time UP" Podgorica and "BWP Montenegro" Podgorica, which were characterized as suspicious," Katnić stated in the answer.

This is the first time that the company "Time UP" is mentioned in this case. The owner and director of "Time UP", according to the register of business entities, is Jose Marija Roger Ezpeleta, who was then the executive director of "Ferse". The authorized representative of this company is Milena Popović, the daughter of former long-time trade union official Danilo Popović. This company has no income, but its financial report mentions fixed assets of millions of euros. "BWP Montenegro" was deleted in April 2016. Its owners, with a 50 percent share each, are Spaniard Alex Requesens Palerola and Milena Popović.

The Spaniards had addresses in Podgorica and a company in Malta

According to "Vijesti" data, Ezpeleta and Palerola are mentioned in the "Panama Papers" affair, which related to rich individuals and civil servants, who hide money from the public. The two of them founded the company "Nice Fruit Holding Limited" in Malta in 2014. In the documents of that company, Ezpeleta reported the address of Ulica pilota Milojevića i Cvetkovića 7 at Stari aerodrome, while Palerola gave his address as "Stara Varoš Street 3" Podgorica.

In the answer, Katnić states that on October 19, 2017, SDT collected documentation from the Tax Administration and information, business and financial documentation of companies that had a business relationship with 'Fersa' "as a member - leader of the consortium 'Fersa - Čelebić'".

SDT states that on July 18, 2017, they took over the case files from the Basic Court in the lawsuit filed by Popović and Palou against the companies BWP Montenegro, BWP Europe Consulting SL and Fersa Energias Renovables.

We received the documentation from the Ministry at the end of 2019.

"On November 15, 2018, the special prosecutor collected the necessary notifications from Vladimir Popović regarding the circumstances related to the wind power project at the Možura location, as well as the complete documentation that was in his possession. At the end of 2019, SDT received the requested statement and all documentation from the Ministry of Economy, following several requests," said Katnić.

In his answer, he says that part of this business and banking documentation has already been the subject of an expert opinion from the economic and financial profession, as well as that the rest of the documentation will be the subject of an expert opinion from the appropriate profession "whose findings are necessary for making a decision on the possible criminal liability of the persons involved in the implementation of the subject matter" legal work".

In September 2015, the government decided to continue the work with Enemalt. In May 2016, then Prime Minister Milo Đukanović traveled to Malta, where he discussed the project with its Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. Muskat resigned in early 2020 due to this affair.

In the dispute before the Court of First Instance, Popović and Palou submitted, among other things, as evidence a schematic representation of the distribution of 10 million euros, which "Fersa" was supposed to pay for contracting, mediation and lobbying in the construction of wind farms.

An international group of investigative journalists is also investigating this affair, in order to continue the work of the murdered colleague.

If Brajović does not keep his word, the opposition will ask for an extraordinary session

SNP MP Srđan Milić told "Vijesta" yesterday that he expects the President of the Assembly Ivan Brajović to keep his word and at the new session of the Assembly, which he announced to be scheduled for the next few days, to enable the formation of a survey committee to be included in the agenda regarding evaluations of "endemic corruption" with special reference to the "Možura" affair.

On June 22, Milić and his colleague Danijela Pavićević submitted this initiative to the Assembly, first with 24 signatures and then with the signatures of all 39 opposition MPs. Brajović then rejected the initiative because it needed the signature of 27, not 24 deputies, and said that the other deputies signed after the deadline.

"I expect that he will fulfill his word and that there will be new sessions in the coming days. If that does not happen, we will ask for an extraordinary session. It is important for us that we got the signature and support of all colleagues from the opposition and those who are boycotting the parliament. This is the first complete unity of the opposition in this convocation," said Milić.

The assessment that there is "endemic (deep-rooted) corruption" in Montenegro was given by the organization "Freedom House", and then by the US Ambassador to Montenegro, Judy Reising Rajnke.