Is there corruption in the business with Hamović?

The company "Univerzal Monte", behind the Serbian businessman Vuk Hamović, will soon be paid four million euros from the current budget reserve for the early termination of the contract for the Meljine-Petijevići road, which was done by the Government of former Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić.

The agreement was terminated without the consent of the Ministry of Capital Investments (MKI), which announced that it could not take over the management of this share.

"Vijesti" has learned from several sources that yesterday the Government Committee for Economic Policy considered the information on the status of the obligation related to the mutual termination of the contract on the construction, operation and transfer of the Meljine - Petijevići road and that it was concluded that the deadlines for fulfilling this obligation have expired and that four million euros must be paid, because otherwise the state would be exposed to account blocking due to the enforced document.

"At the Commission for Economic Policy (KEP) there was a discussion about the nature of this work and the need to conclude such an agreement, so it was agreed that this material should be submitted to the competent authorities to see if there were any corrupt actions in this case," said the source. "News".

Krivokapić's Government terminated the concession contract in May of last year, but did not pay the money to the company "Univerzal Monte", which filed a lawsuit in the Commercial Court.

The Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare, headed by Minister Milojko Spajić, signed an agreement on the termination of the contract, in which it was defined that the money should be paid by January 31 of this year. However, in the budget for this year, the payment of four million is not planned, but at the last session of the former Government on April 20, a conclusion was reached that this money should be paid from the current budget reserve. On April 15, the protector of the property and legal interests of the state submitted to Spajić the lawsuit filed by "Univerzal Monte" in the Commercial Court.

Request of the Municipality

The 12,5-kilometer section is part of the Herceg Novi - Trebinje road and was officially opened at the beginning of July 2008. It was built as a public-private partnership, according to the BOT system (take, build, use and return) between the Municipality of Herceg Novi and a Belgrade company. Univerzal Holding", that is, the company "Univerzal Monte" from Herceg Novi. The road was given to the investor for 20 years, after which it was supposed to become the property of the Municipality.

Yesterday, "Vijesti" was told by MKI, which is headed by Minister Ervin Ibrahimović, that the Municipality of Herceg Novi requested the termination of the concession contract with the explanation that the road was previously categorized as local, and now as highway, so it is not responsible for it. In April 2021, the municipality turned to the Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare with an initiative to cancel toll collection on the Meljine - Petijevići road section. In the initiative, the Municipality, led by Stevan Katic (Democrats), agreed to terminate the BOT agreement on the construction, operation and transfer of the Meljine - Petijevići road and for the Government to assume the obligation to settle the debt to the concessionaire, while Spajić's department prepared information and a proposal for termination for the Government. agreement.

For the past five years, Universal Monte has consistently presented a loss in business to the tax authorities in Montenegro. The company ended 2021 with an accumulated loss of three million euros, while total debts amounted to 11 million euros

"In May of last year, the government authorized Spajić to terminate the agreement and to provide money in the budget law for 2022 in the amount of four million for the payment of obligations based on the agreement on the termination of the agreement on the construction, operation and transfer of the Meljine - Petijevići road", they said from MKI.

The MKI said that their position, as well as that of the previous Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs, was that the termination of the concession agreement is the exclusive responsibility of the Municipality of Herceg Novi.

"Since the procedure for premature termination of the contract was led by the Ministry of Finance and Social Welfare, and the agreement was concluded between the Municipality and the concessionaire Univerzal Holding, the MKI has repeatedly emphasized that the premature termination of the concession is a contractual relationship between the Municipality and the concessionaire, and that the procedure needs to be carried out in accordance with the agreement. In the initial addresses of the Municipality to the Ministry of Capital Investments (Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs) in the sense that the Government should take over all the responsibilities over the mentioned section, possibly premature termination of the concession arrangement, the Ministry clearly stated its position. Namely, the ministry was of the opinion that the agreement on the construction, operation and transfer of the Meljine - Petijevići road is in force and binds the contracting parties until its termination or the expiry of the time it was signed, and termination can only occur in cases clearly defined by the agreement, which is in the exclusive jurisdiction of the Municipality or the concessionaire. "Taking into account the plans for the construction and reconstruction of state roads, the MKI cannot at this moment take over the road in question, that is, pay the concessionaire in the manner proposed," explained the MKI.

"Cat in the sack"

Former Minister of Capital Investments (MKI) Mladen Bojanić told "Vijesta" yesterday that in May of last year, when it was decided to terminate the contract, he had a different opinion.

"The MKI had a clear position. We cannot buy a cat in a bag without knowing the condition of the road. I was looking for an analysis of how much we can expect to increase the number of tourists from Bosnia and Herzegovina due to the abolition of the three-euro toll. Since there was no such analysis, I made a counter-proposal to think about whether it is more efficient to distribute 40.000 vouchers for 100 euros to tourists for travel expenses, than to hope that we will get new tourists from Bosnia and Herzegovina for four million. For the second vote in April this year, I questioned the payment from the current budget reserve and asked why it was not in the budget for 2022 as defined by the conclusion of May 2021. "No one answered anything and state secretaries were present," said Bojanic.

Minister of Finance Aleksandar Damjanović told "Vijesta" yesterday that the Government will show responsibility in paying the assumed and contracted obligations of the former Government, which did not fulfill what it contracted.

"Regarding the nature of this job, I can say that I would never conclude a bad job for the state," said Damjanović.

The Municipality of Herceg Novi, in the initiative sent to Spajić's department, stated that it was the beneficiary of the expropriation in the reconstruction project of this road, during which period it was categorized as local, and further states that the Rulebook on the categorization of roads (Article 3) designated this road as a highway, while is defined by the Law on Roads that the administrative body, not the local self-government unit, is in charge of state roads (main and regional roads). It is further stated that the Municipality indicates that since the road is categorized as a highway, the Government and the current holders of the rights and obligations of the Municipality and the concessionaire should arrange mutual relations and that the concessionaire be paid 4,5 million with early termination of the agreement.

Minus in business

In January 2007, the former municipal government, with the permission of the then Government, signed an Agreement on the construction, operation and transfer (BOT) of the Meljine-Petijevići road with "Univerzal Monte".

The 12,5-kilometer section was reconstructed in mid-2008. The road, which until then had a local character, gained international importance and the standard of a main road, but it was not officially verified by the Montenegrin Ministry of Transport at the time. The entire investment, as it was announced at the time, cost 20 million euros, and the investor received the right to collect tolls for the next 20 years, as well as 107.000 square meters of land at the Kotobilj location and the right to own it on both sides of the road in a zone of 100 meters each. has the right to build.

The first owner of "Univerzal Monte" was Hamović's "Univerzal Holding" from Belgrade, and then there were several formal owners from offshore destinations who were called "Timi Holding Limited", "Belagon Limited", "Lindberg Invest & Finance Corp", " Peebles Invest & Finance LP", while according to the register the current owner is called "NPV Factoring".

According to the website npvfactoring.com, the contact address of the company "NPV Factoring" is Balkanska 2, Belgrade. This address is the official residence of Vuk Hamović, according to the building permit application he submitted earlier for his villa in Herceg Novi.

"Univerzal Monte" has been constantly presenting a loss in business to the tax authorities in Montenegro for the last five years. The company ended 2021 with an accumulated loss of three million euros, while total debts amounted to 11 million euros.

In recent years, the company had an average of 13 employees, while last year that number dropped to two.

The termination agreement was signed two days before the local elections in HN

"This is an incredible success of this Government, the signed agreement is of immeasurable importance for the citizens of Herceg Novi, but also for Montenegrin tourism, bearing in mind that before the outbreak of the pandemic, tourists from Bosnia and Herzegovina spent over a million nights in Montenegro. Today, the government once again proved that it is firmly committed to solving the problems that have been harming the Montenegrin economy and citizens for years," said Minister Spajić on May 7 last year, when the agreement was signed.

The President of the Municipality of Herceg Novi Stevan Katic then said that "this is a great day for all citizens of Herceg Novi and the whole of Montenegro".

"We are glad that this Government recognized the problem and decided to solve it, because all our appeals to the previous Governments were without results. This was the only highway in the region on which tolls were charged," Katic emphasized.

Former President of the Assembly Aleksa Bečić wrote on Twitter at the time that "the decision of the Government created the conditions for the abolition of tolls on the Meljine-Petijevići road and the construction of ramps, which were anything but a sign of traditional Montenegrin hospitality."

Bečić said that the multi-year struggle was successfully ended and the promise made to the citizens was fulfilled.

Local elections in Herceg Novi were held on May 9 last year.

Former Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić and President of Republika Srpska Željka Cvijanović met at the tollbooth on the Meljine-Petijevići road on May 11 last year, which made official the cancellation of tolls on that part of the road.

Due to the landslide, 24 houses were damaged

During the construction of the road, the contractor "Prijedor putevi" without permission deposited an excavation of the soil above the village of Podi, which changed the flow of groundwater that caused the landslide in February 2007.

Then 24 houses, road, electricity and water infrastructure were damaged in the hamlet of Mištica.

Locals sued the contractor and concessionaire.

According to the verdict of the Basic Court in Herceg Novi, the landslide was caused by a construction waste dump.

The municipality of Herceg Novi paid for the first phase of land rehabilitation.