On the occasion of the report on the audit of the Annual Financial Report of the Sports and Youth Administration for 2021, which was done by the State Audit Institution (DRI), the former director of the Administration, Marko Begović, spoke out and called on the supreme audit to take responsibility in such a way that "finally dare to impartially and professionally" perform the work for which she is paid by the citizens of Montenegro.
"Finally, it is clear that in Montenegro there is a fear of individuals who depend only on their own work, because such a person can work in his own interest and in the interests of Montenegrin society. Therefore, as I have never depended on socio-political reality, I will not allow myself to be part of the mire of partitocracy, incompetents and those who act to the detriment of the interests of our country. Consequently, I will continue to resolutely oppose the aforementioned negative tendencies, which aim to preserve the party's monopoly, but still evict all those who think for themselves. It is healing." Begović stated.
In addition to the media, he sent his letter to the Supreme State Prosecutor's Office (VDT) and the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT), the Government and the Committee for Education, Culture, Science and Sports of the Parliament of Montenegro.
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""Vijesti" conveys Begović's position integrally.
"In accordance with the Report on the revision of the annual financial report of the Administration for Sports and Youth for 2021 (DRI No. 02-035/23-81/3), I use the opportunity to point out the following shortcomings and that in detail.
In relation to finding 1, with the consent of the supervisory body, the then Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports and the positive opinion of the Ministry of Finance, the Directorate for Sports and Youth acted according to the Conclusion of the Government of Montenegro. In this regard, I note that this is not about the distribution of funds, but a strategic project of the Directorate for Sports and Youth based on the Youth Act, the Youth Strategy and the European Union Youth Framework for 2022. In relation to all previous similar procedures, the ISO 21500 international standard was applied, with the formation of a Commission for project monitoring and control with the principles of full depoliticization and professionalization. In accordance with the above, the Administration for Sports and Youth acted in accordance with the Conclusion of the Government of Montenegro and with the valid procedures, and for the same you can contact the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports as the supervisory authority and the Ministry of Finance, as the state administration authority that issued positive opinion, and finally to the Government of Montenegro itself.
I would like to remind you that in the DRI report no. 40113/19-022-16/22 from 2019, clearly indicated that the subject of the audit, I quote, "acted in accordance with the Government's Conclusion". Speaking of that report from 2019, you forgot to point out to the subject of the audit that, contrary to the 2018-2020 Optimization Plan, it adopted the Rulebook on Internal Organization and Systematization with more than three times more executive positions, although the scope of work is in accordance with the Regulation in force at the time on the organization and way of working of the state administration, as well as the regulations governing administrative areas, have not been changed, i.e. competences were not expanded and provided for only 12 executors. Also, you failed to state that for the reporting period, several hundred administrative acts were signed by an unauthorized person DocuSign Envelope ID: B0741292-1F8A-4C58-8B60-6C7499BAC671 (see the Supreme Court ruling as follows). The audit did not even note that politically exposed persons in this public law body received over thirty thousand euros with a symbolic repayment through the Housing Commission, although all of them have resolved housing issues and multiple incomes compared to the average income in Montenegro.
However, this is not the first time that the SAI failed to take into account the specifics of a legal entity and to carry out a professional and impartial procedure to the end. Namely, in the report of DRI no. 40113/17-021-616/16, you did not state that the subject of the audit, contrary to the law, reported the accommodation of athletes as an expense even though the organizer of the Olympic Games, bearing in mind that the relationship between national and international authority covers the costs of accommodation of athletes and delegations. Also, you did not state that the organizer of the Olympic Games covers 80% of the amount of travel expenses. And this is not the first time, and the SAI failed to conduct a specific audit in relation to the nature of the work and functioning of the sports movement. I remind you that this is about hundreds of thousands of euros over at least three Olympic cycles. On the other hand, last year, the previously mentioned subject of audit also requested in the program proposal that the state pay the costs of accommodation for athletes, but he did not receive these funds. To conclude in relation to this matter, as it is about failures over a long period of time, I suggest that you conduct a serious audit within the SAI, but also involve the competent authorities that would examine the work and functioning, all with the aim of the need for the institutions to work in the interest of Montenegrin society and the state of Montenegro.
In relation to finding 2, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that after my appointment at the end of September 2021, I determined that there are six cars in the fleet of the Administration for Sports and Youth. At the same time, that a part of them is used by individuals without proper authorization. Bearing in mind the intention to rationalize spending as well as the overall functioning system, all in accordance with the standards of decent societies to which we strive (European Union countries), in consultation with the supervisory and competent bodies of the state administration, I made the decision that the Directorate for Sports and Youth keep two car for the smooth performance of work. This procedure was, of course, accompanied by appropriate documentation.
In relation to finding 7, I remind you that the reporting period refers to the year 2021, and your report includes an appointment from March 31, 2022 (No. 04-4536/2). I would like to take this opportunity to draw your attention to the fact that after the end of his mandate in 2021, my predecessor continued to DocuSign Envelope ID: B0741292-1F8A-4C58-8B60-6C7499BAC671 perform the function until the middle of September of the same year and that without interruption. Almost unbelievable, but this report omits all the key activities in the first ten months, including the competition for the distribution of funds for the implementation of the program of sports organizations for the year 2021 (Decision of the Administration for Sports and Youth No. 01-105-614/21-1142- 4). Namely, even though the then valid Law on Sports provided for the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports (and not the Directorate for Sports and Youth) to make a decision on the allocation of funds, the competition was conducted in a completely opposite way to the provisions of the lex specialis then valid. On that occasion, not only was a multimillion-dollar amount distributed, but also organizations that were found not to have used taxpayers' funds for the purpose in the previous period, as well as a sports organization for which the Administrative Court and the Supreme Court, half a year before the competition itself, passed a verdict, that was founded in violation of the Law on Sports, received significant financial resources (see: letter No. 01-833 of April 18.04.2017, 845 and judgments of the Administrative Court U. No. 19/1546 and the Supreme Court V. No. 19/XNUMX).
In the end, as I know that individuals with pronounced local academic status work at the SAI, I want to believe that academic integrity will prevail and result in an unbiased and professional report, so that the Montenegrin people will finally start to believe in the institutions they pay for," said Begović.
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