"Universal Monte" expects a verdict in its favor

The company "Univerzal Monte" announced that, if it does not win the dispute against the state in the Commercial Court regarding the construction of the Meljine-Petijevići road, it will continue the dispute before international instances, which will cost millions in interest.

This is stated in the announcement that this private company submitted to "Vijesta". "Universal" said that they expect the court's decision in favor of that company, that is, the collection of four million euros with legal interest, which has so far reached about 700 thousand euros.

Contract with the company, behind which stands a Serbian businessman Vuk Hamovic, which built the Meljine-Petijevići road in 2008 under an arrangement based on which it was supposed to use it for 20 years and return it to the ownership of the Municipality of Herceg Novi, was terminated by agreement on May 7, 2021, by the Government of the Prime Minister Zdravka Krivokapića, after which the toll on that section stopped being collected.

The government then tasked the Ministry of Finance to, according to the agreement, provide four million euros in the budget for the following year for the payment of compensation to "Univerzal Monte". That ministry, which was managed by the then current prime minister Milojko Spajic it didn't work. Instead, at the last session of the former Government in April 2022, it was concluded that this money should be paid from the budget reserve.

That obligation of the Government Dritan Abazović did not perform, but forwarded the documentation related to this business to the Special State Prosecutor's Office, while "Universal Monte" initiated a lawsuit against the state demanding the payment of four million plus VAT. The state responded with a counterclaim seeking annulment of the agreement.

"Univerzal Monte" reduced the amount of claims by VAT of 840 thousand euros, so with the lawsuit they are demanding payment of four million euros.

"The agreement on the termination of the Agreement on the construction, operation and transfer (BOT) of the Meljina - Petijevići road is very clear, on the one hand it obliges the company "Univerzal Monte" to complete the rehabilitation of the part of the road on Kotobilja and to hand over the available documentation related to the construction of the Meljina road - Petijevići, and on the other hand obligates the Ministry of Finance to pay 31 million euros by January 1, 2022 at the latest. "Universal Monte" fulfilled its obligations, the Ministry of Finance did not", they said from this private company.