The Protector of Property and Legal Interests, the Cadastre and State Property Administration, and representatives of the company "Vektra Jakić" held a meeting in early December 2021 to reach an agreement on the continued preservation of the machinery and equipment of the former pellet plant of this Pljevlja factory. Owner of "Vektra Jakić" Dragan Brkovic On this occasion, he agreed to keep the pledged equipment and announced that he would submit an invoice for the costs of this work to the Cadastre Administration.
This is stated in the official note from this meeting, which was seen by "Vijesti", and which was attended, among others, by the protector of property and legal interests. Bojana Cirovic, Director of the Cadastre and State Property Administration Koča Đurišić and owner of "Vektra Jakić" Dragan Brkovic.
In 2015, Pljevlja-based “Vektra Jakić” received a three million dollar loan from the Abu Dhabi Development Fund (ADF) granted by the then Ministry of Agriculture. They did not repay the loan, so the department seized machinery and equipment from the local factory’s pellet plant as collateral, while “Vektra Jakić” went bankrupt at the end of 2023. This disputed loan is one of the cases in the “Abu Dhabi” affair, according to the charges brought by the Special State Prosecutor’s Office against the then Minister of Agriculture Petar Ivanovic.
"Vijesti" announced at the end of last year that the Ministry has a contract with "Vektra Jakić", according to which they have to pay tens of thousands of euros per month to this company for the storage of this pellet equipment because it was never sold.
The existence of this obligation was also confirmed by an email communication from the former Minister of Agriculture. Aleksandar Stijović with the Protector of Property Interests from February 2022, which states that the department is obliged to pay “Vektra Jakić” 44.840 euros per month in the winter period, and 27.150 euros in the summer. When calculated with six summer and the same number of winter months, this compensation costs the state 431.940 euros per year.
The Ministry of Agriculture told "Vijesti" in mid-January this year that they do not have such a contract on file, so they have not paid money for the job so far. However, in a letter sent by the current Minister of Agriculture Vladimir Jokovic addressed to the former bankruptcy administrator of "Vektra Jakić" Dragan Popović, It says that this department did not agree with the provisions of this contract.
Installation costs hundreds of thousands of euros
According to the minutes of the Commercial Court drawn up in November 2021, during a visit to the Pljevlja pellet plant, it was determined that the equipment was in the intended halls, while the representative of “Vektra Jakić” Ranko Grbavac requested that the company immediately surrender it as collateral. Deputy Protector Vanja Stankovic She stated that she would do so, but that "Vektra" would keep her until then.
Grbavac stated that he would take care of the equipment for no longer than eight days, after which a meeting was scheduled to determine when the machines would be taken over or under what conditions their storage would continue.
"The meeting in question was held to reach an agreement on the further storage of the equipment, which was handed over to the enforcement creditor on November 25, 2021, pursuant to a proposal for execution based on the Agreement on Pledge on Movable Property dated October 21, 2015. At the meeting, Brković stated that even after the expiration of the eight-day period, he agrees to store the equipment that he handed over to the enforcement creditor, in the manner stated and proposed by the legal representative of the enforcement creditor, with payment of the necessary costs of storing the equipment, for which he will submit invoices to the Cadastre and State Property Administration," the note states.
According to the documentation that "Vijesti" had access to, a few days after the meeting, i.e. at the end of 2021, Brković sent the Cadastral Administration a bill for storing equipment, explaining that the winter period lasts from October 20 to April 20. He explained that at that time, the costs of the bill for heating and maintenance of the equipment were increased according to the standards and recommendations of the manufacturer, which must be stored at a temperature of 18 to 20 degrees Celsius.
It is stated that the equipment was in two halls with an area of 3,4 thousand square meters, that the lowest price of warehouse space of four euros per square meter was taken into account, so including VAT, the fee was 16,6 thousand euros. Another 5,74 thousand was calculated for the constant provision of equipment, as well as 10,8 thousand for electricity costs, with 11,69 thousand euros for coal heating.
This ultimately amounts to compensation of 44,84 thousand euros in the winter months, which "Vektra Jakić" requested.
"The summer period covers the period from April 20 to October 20 and excludes only the cost of heating and partially reduces the cost of electricity. Total costs in the summer period amount to 22.151 euros. "Vektra Jakić" has repeatedly requested an agreement with the Investment and Development Fund (IRF), warning that this is equipment for which the German manufacturer charged several hundred thousand euros for its installation, for which we will submit all invoices. The costs of dismantling and re-installation will exceed the amount of the loan debt," the letter to the Administration states.
Nobody wants to receive the invoice.
Brković then submitted invoices for the cost of equipment storage to the Protector in early February 2022, and was told that the institution would work with the IRF to find a solution to the situation. The government, by a decision in 2017, entrusted the IRF with the affairs related to the Abu Dhabi Fund and later tasked them with closing open issues regarding that fund by the end of 2022. In February 2022, the fund responded to Brković that they were not the address for invoices and equipment storage costs and that they had no such agreement with “Vektra Jakić”, while Brković claimed that they were told to send the invoices to the IRF.
"Vijesti" also asked the protector of property and legal interests about the status of the equipment and this case at the end of December. Bojan Ćirović, who stated that she legally represents the state and the lawsuits before the Commercial Court, based on the fees that “Vektra Jakić” owes for concessions. She explained that the proceedings will continue when the conditions are met, as they were interrupted due to the opening of bankruptcy.
Ćirović stated that the State Property Administration is responsible for the contract on payment of the equipment storage fee, as it manages and takes care of it, while the bankruptcy administration is responsible for the sale. The State Property Administration said at the end of last year that they are not currently responsible for dealing with the machinery and equipment at the Vektra Jakić pellet plant, including paying for any costs of storing the property.
Bankruptcy manager "Vektra Jakić" Dejan Keković told "Vijesti" in January that he was not aware of the existence of a contract for the safekeeping of equipment and machinery. He stressed that the pledged property had not been sold so far, and that he could not assess its current condition.
He says that valuing equipment is difficult because it is a specific asset, but he assumes that its value will decrease over time depending on the asset itself, its use and storage. He stated that the final value of the pledged machinery and equipment will be determined by a certified appraiser.
Why were there no sales?
A source familiar with this case told "Vijesti" at the end of December that the biggest unknown is why the Department of Agriculture has not sold equipment and provided money to repay the loan to the Abu Dhabi Fund since the end of 2019.
He also emphasized that based on the actions of the authorities so far, he believes that no one will be held accountable, just as no one has been held accountable in the 18 years since the concession was awarded to "Vektra Jakić".
"The value of machinery and equipment is constantly declining and the question is for what amount it could now be sold, even though the ministry has the right to sell it immediately. Instead of selling, the ministry has allowed the conclusion of a contract with the owner Brković on the storage of the equipment, for an amount that could reach half of the value of the factory in the next five years. By the time the bankruptcy of "Vektra Jakić" is resolved, Brković will receive a new pellet plant, and the machinery and equipment from the Abu Dhabi fund will represent scrap metal," he pointed out.
See more:
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
