The Italian bank "Credit Agricole" officially informed the Embassy of Montenegro in Italy that the guarantee of 2,5 million euros was not authentic and that the company "Magnum Development" was never a client of this bank.
"Vijesti" was officially told yesterday by the Ministry of Regional Investment Development and Cooperation with Non-Governmental Organizations, which is headed by the Minister Ernad Suljević and who was authorized by the Government to submit the entire case file on its behalf to the competent state prosecutor's office for further action in connection with the construction of the "Magnum" hotel in Kolašin, which is being built by the "Magnum development" company.
This hotel is included in the list of development projects in 2022 as part of the economic citizenship project based on the condo business model.
The company "Magnum develompemt" told "Vijesta" that they fully support the Government's activities aimed at clarifying this issue and will be absolutely cooperative with all the judicial bodies of Montenegro and other countries that are involved in the procedure.
"The current management had not the slightest reason to doubt the correctness of the previously issued bank guarantee by the Italian bank "Credit Agricole", which was issued in the amount of 2,5 million euros and which the bank submitted to the then Ministry of Economic Development on December 21, 2021 . year. This is because the validity of that guarantee was checked and confirmed by the then Ministry of Economic Development at the aforementioned bank on December 23, 2021. The confirmation of the validity of the bank guarantee is contained in the information of the Government, which was adopted at the session on June 17, 2022. In addition, we point out that at the time of publication of this information, there was a change in the management of the company by appointment Veselin Bečanovića, and later control over the company "Magnum Development", they said from this private company.
"Vijesti" asked for clarification on who was in the management of the company when the bank guarantee was issued and who controlled the company before the arrival of Veselin Bečanović, but the answer did not reach the end of the text. For the founders of this company in September 2020, citizens of the Russian Federation were registered in the CRPS Olga Chilikina, Iudin Dmitrii i Merkuryeva Zlata.
In December 2021, the Minister of Economic Development was the current president of the state Jakov Milatovic.
The Ministry of Regional Investment Development said that the guarantee was valid until December 1 of this year and that the company had an obligation to deliver a new one in the amount of 2,5 million, but that it was not delivered.
It was further clarified that this project was included in the list of development projects in the field of tourism on June 17, 2022 at the proposal of the then Ministry of Economic Development and Tourism and that the guarantee was given by the Italian bank "Credit Agricole".
"Given that the deadline for the construction of this project expired on October 30.10.2024, 19. year, and the Investor, despite the urgency from the Ministry, did not submit a new business and dynamic plan, as well as a new bank guarantee for the same amount as the previously valid bank guarantee, the Ministry of Regional and Investment Development informed the Government about the implementation of the activity for the project. At the session on November XNUMX of this year, the government appointed the minister of regional and investment development Ernad Suljević to carry out the necessary activities on behalf of the Government and activate the bank guarantee issued by "Credit Agricola of Italy", payable on first call, in the amount of 2,5 million in favor of the Government and which was provided by the investor for the construction project of the "Magnum" hotel. On the same day, the Ministry sent a written request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the activation of the bank guarantee with the accompanying accompanying documentation, in order to send it to the Embassy of Montenegro in Italy via a diplomatic note for further action. On November 28, 2024, the embassy handed the bank representatives the necessary documentation for activating the bank guarantee. After the implementation procedures, the representatives of the bank informed the Embassy that the guarantee is not authentic, that the bank did not have any communication and cooperation with "Magnum Development", and that this legal entity is not, nor has it ever been, their client", explained the department.
"Magnum Development" announced that they will finish the hotel by the end of 2025, that they have provided money for the eventual needs of further financing of the project from the Investment and Development Fund of Montenegro in the amount of 5 million euros and that they are negotiating with Montenegrin banks about a new guarantee.
Đurović: Spajić's government caught in a lie
The civic movement URA sent a press release to the media yesterday, stating that the vice president of URA and the Minister of Economic Development and Tourism in the 43rd Government Goran Đurović denied any involvement of the 43rd Government in the case of a false guarantee for the "Magnum Developments" hotel, as claimed by the Spajić Government.
Đurović pointed out that Spajić's Government was again caught in a lie and that the guarantee was given in 2021 and therefore has nothing to do with the 43rd Government.
"It seems that in the political struggle, the means are not chosen in order to discredit people. Everything for the famous guarantee happened in December 2021, in the period when the current Prime Minister Milojko Spajić was the Minister of Finance and a favorite of the then Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić, which is almost half a year before the formation of the 43rd Government of Dritan Abazović. As every time until now, when Spajić tried to set up an affair for someone, he was caught in a lie, or as the proverb says, whoever digs another's hole, falls into it himself", said Goran Đurović.
He said: "I have never done anything dishonorable in my career, and let this heinous attempt to discredit me serve everyone's honor."
"I would like to point out that according to all this, the then Ministry of Economic Development did everything it should, and if someone committed fraud and forgery, let them be held accountable," concluded Đurović, who provided the media with documentation regarding the guarantee.
After that, Prime Minister Spajić's office announced that the 43rd Government included the project in the list of priority projects and adopted that document, the 42nd Government did not include the project in the list of priority projects, and that the 44th Government, when starting the procedure for collecting the guarantee, determined that a false guarantee was issued for the project.
"It was decided that Minister Ernad Suljević, on behalf of the Government, submit the entire case file to the State Prosecutor's Office for further processing and decision. In this way, the 44th Government acted responsibly, and for any doubts Mr. Đurović may have, we refer him to his predecessor in the Department of Economic Development", the Prime Minister's Office said.
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