The bridge in the Kolašin village of Mušovića Rijeka, which was presented in official reports from the Municipality in January 2024 as a completed project from 2023, for which 9.160 euros were spent on materials, does not yet exist on the ground.
This facility was recently the subject of interest of the councilor of the government from GP URA, Miodrag Vlahović, who asked the Mayor of the Municipality Petko Bakić whether the funds earmarked for the bridge had been returned to the budget, and if not, within what period this would be done. Vlahović was also interested in whether “someone from the executive branch feels a moral responsibility to apologize to the citizens” for the failure to complete the work.
Bakić said at the last session of the local parliament that “the bridge has been covered in the media and that a lot has been written about it”, but he did not give a precise answer when its construction would begin. He explained that “the municipality was not damaged, but that the money was used to pay for the materials for the bridge”, which, he claims, the locals have repeatedly requested over the past years. The materials are allegedly “waiting” for a private company from Kolašin to start the work.
And the bridge that exists only “on paper” also caught the attention of the Basic State Prosecutor’s Office in March of this year. As the ODT announced at the time, an indictment was filed against MR, an employee of the Municipality of Kolašin, for the criminal offense of forging an official document. According to the prosecutor’s office, he “entered false information into the official document in his capacity as a supervisory authority.”
"He certified the official document with his signature, stating that the works on the bridge in Mušovića Rijeka were carried out in accordance with the submitted documentation, even though he knew that the works had not been carried out. He submitted such a document to the Office of the Mayor and the Secretariat for Spatial Planning," the ODT announced at the time.
The Municipality told Vijesti at the beginning of last year that the construction of the bridge was still pending. The fact that it was recorded as completed, they explain, was the only way for the Municipality to pay for the purchased materials, given that the local government cannot pay invoices for materials except as part of the amount for the works.
Allegedly, “it was necessary to prepare a report so that the private company could charge for the delivered goods and its services according to the specifications.” The bridge is planned on the Paljevinska River and would lead to the properties of some of the villagers. The owners, as explained by the local administration last year, have repeatedly requested the Secretariat for Spatial Planning, Communal Affairs and Traffic to rebuild the destroyed pedestrian bridge.
"Wanting to help the locals overcome this problem, the Office of the President concluded a contract with the company 'Županovac' for the procurement, installation and transport of materials worth 7.600 euros excluding VAT. The amount of 9.196 euros is the amount including VAT, according to the bill of quantities and the preliminary estimate of the works prepared by the road and traffic officer," the Municipality responded to "Vijesti"
The contract for the procurement, transport and installation of materials was concluded on October 16, 2023. As the Municipality explained last year, in addition to the company “Županovac”, part of the work was carried out by an entrepreneur “who was privately hired by the locals during December, given that the work could not be carried out during November due to weather conditions”. As confirmation of this, the Municipality also provided photographs of the preparatory work.
At that time, President Bakić's office also said that "the internal procedures of the Budget and Treasury Department of the Municipality of Kolašin for contracts for the procurement, transport and installation of materials include the submission of a report from the competent officer from the field, in order for the payment to be made at all."
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