ASP: At least ten apartments or flats blocked in Porto Montenegro, mainly due to suspicions of money laundering

At least ten apartments or flats and nine more garage spaces are currently blocked in several buildings in the luxury resort of Porto Montenegro, mainly due to suspicions of money laundering, and in one case due to the criminal offense of drug trafficking, while the properties are mostly linked to foreign ownership, the Action for Social Justice (ASP) announced.

The non-governmental organization (NGO) pointed out that official data shows that real estate registered to Israeli Michael David Greenfield and related companies are still blocked in Porto due to suspicions of money laundering. This is a false identity of this Israeli, who pleaded guilty in that country to fraud, forgery and money laundering, ASP explains.

"He was previously a partner of Veselin Pejović, and it was revealed that Greenfield invested part of the money acquired through fraudulent activities in companies in Montenegro, and part in Pejović's Uniprom group.

"According to some of the financial documentation of 'Uniprom' and 'Uniprom Metal', which is in the possession of the Action for Social Justice, cash flows of at least 6,6 million were shown with Greenfield and Egfe from Hungary (connected to Greenfield) over at least two years," the NGO added in a statement.

In Porto Montenegro, luxury real estate belonging to a Podgorica company, owned by foreign capital and a company that is under investigation in Moldova for money laundering, corruption and related crimes, has also been blocked, ASP added.

They say that the foreign company has since been voluntarily closed down, and over the years its real ownership has been hidden behind companies from Belize and the Seychelles, well-known offshore zones.

"For several years, an Armenian citizen has been listed as a significant shareholder in this foreign firm, one of hundreds of Armenian citizens who over the years served as proxy directors for a network of shell companies used by prominent oligarchs to move hundreds of millions of dollars out of Eastern Europe, evade taxes, and provide lobbying services."

"A residential property in one of the luxury complexes in Porto Montenegro has been blocked due to suspicions that the owner obtained the money for the purchase of the property through participation in illegal drug trafficking, and against whom criminal proceedings are being conducted for being part of an international criminal group," the statement said.

The NGO says that in addition to apartments or flats ranging in size from 38 square meters to duplexes of 458 square meters, nine garage spaces are currently blocked in Porto Montenegro, each measuring 13 square meters.

"According to the Law on the Confiscation of Proceeds of Crime, a temporary security measure may be ordered if there is a reasonable suspicion that the proceeds of crime were obtained through criminal activity. It may last no longer than until the decision on the permanent confiscation of proceeds of crime becomes final."

"If a temporary measure is determined during an investigation, it is lifted ex officio when the indictment does not enter into legal force within two years," the statement concludes.