Former Acting Director of the Revenue and Customs Administration (UPC) Aleksandar Damjanović he told "Vijesti" that in October last year he asked the company "Jackpot" to supplement the documentation, that is, to submit a new request for the concession for a period of 10 years with the payment of a one-time fee of two million euros, and not as "Jackpot" ” originally asked to extend his concession for five years without paying a fee.
The owners of the company "Jack Pot" are Branislav Mićunović i Sava Grbović.
"At the beginning of October, the concessionaire submitted a request for the extension of the concession, which expired in February of this year, for a period of five years. It was sent back to submit a new one because the concessionaire, in accordance with the law on games of chance, could only request a concession for 10 years with the payment of a one-time fee of two million euros, and not as he originally wanted, which was communicated to him at the meeting in UPC. After that, he did not address himself, but, as far as I was informed by the media, the request was sent again in the same form after my departure, and the assistant director for the Gaming Sector sent a proposal for a decision again on refusal, because it is simply illegal to get a concession extension for the second time for five years without compensation," said Damjanović.
”Vijesti” asked Damjanović for a comment yesterday after she is the current acting director of UPC Milena Petričević according to the knowledge of "Vijesti" from the Government, in a letter dated February 7, she informed the Minister of Finance and Social Welfare Milojko Spajić that Damjanović allegedly acted contrary to the Law on Games of Chance in connection with the request of the company "Jackpot" to allow them to continue organizing games of chance in the casino at the hotel "Falkeinstener" in Bečići, after the concession expired.
Damjanović said that instead of the "February correspondence between the UPC and the Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare, which was informed by the media, the real question is why the UPC did not submit a prepared proposal to the Ministry and the Government in order for the Government to make an appropriate decision, but it was "lost" in drawers on the UPC - Ministry of Finance. Petričevićka claims that Damjanović illegally requested the addition of documentation regarding the request of that private company.
"In this way, the obligation to make a timely rejection decision, state the termination of the concession and issue a new invitation so that this same concessionaire or another one, with the payment of a fee of two million euros, will receive a concession for 10 years. I expect that the Ministry and the Government, as well as the Protector of Property and Legal Relations, as well as other competent institutions, will make a statement on everything. This is due to the fact that the violation of laws and procedures was caused by inaction and avoiding the proposal of the decision to be forwarded to the Government for adoption, with possible damage to the budget, which should be urgently determined by the competent institutions", stressed Damjanović.
Acting Assistant Director UPC for the Sector of Games of Chance Andrija Ćetković sent the proposal for a decision on obtaining a request for the extension of the concession to Petričević so that she would send it to the relevant ministry, and they to the Government, which would state the termination of the concession, but at the same time he informed Spajić about his proposal. Petričević did not send the proposed decision to the ministry, but wrote to the minister that it was illegal. After that, Spajić instructed her in his opinion to send the decision regarding the concession for this casino and send it to the ministry so that the Government could state it. Spajić states in the letter that the law states that the concession is issued for 10 years and that it can be extended to five years, which Ćetković also previously stated.
Ćetković, using Petričevićka's earlier authorization to independently sign acts under his authority, sent the draft decision to the minister, while Petrićevićka initiated disciplinary proceedings because of his move.
Since Petričević did not act on the order of Spajić and since the concession contract had expired, the Commercial Court ruled that the company "Jack pot" can continue organizing games of chance with a deposit of 35.000 euros.
At the end of October, at the suggestion of Spajić, Petričević came to the position covered by Damjanović in UPC.
There is an ongoing competition to fill this position. According to the law, Petričević's term of office lasts six months.
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