The Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) is investigating the sale of ships by the state-owned shipping company Crnogorska plovodba from Kotor.
This was confirmed yesterday to "Vijesti" in the SDT, which is headed by the Chief Special Prosecutor Vladimir Novović.
The Montenegrin Shipping Company's ships "Kotor" and "Dvadeset prvi maj" were sold to the Danes in mid-September for a total of 13,25 million dollars, which is at least a third less than the objective market value of these two vessels.
"The Special State Prosecutor's Office has opened a criminal case regarding the sale of two ships of the company 'Crnogorska plovidba' AD, in order to determine whether there are grounds for suspicion that a criminal offense within its jurisdiction was committed. An investigation is underway," the special prosecutor and spokesperson for the SDT told "Vijesti" yesterday. Vukas Radonjic.
The urgent sale of both ships of the Montenegrin Shipping Company was initiated this summer by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, headed by the Minister Filip Radulović claiming that the Government allegedly no longer has any legal ability to help this company, which is 100 percent state-owned, and which was previously brought into insolvency by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs through its actions and untimely actions and put in danger of having its ships seized by foreign creditors and sold at court auctions.
The management of Crnogorska plovidba, under the influence and request of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, therefore urgently sold both of its ships to the Danish company K/S Navisios Group for a total of 13,25 million dollars, which is far less than the objective value of these two “handysize bulk carriers” of 35.000 tons each, built in 2012 in China. “Kotor” was sold for 5,75 million dollars (about 4,92 million euros), which is significantly lower even than the allocations that the Ministry of Maritime Affairs had for the organization of the sailing race Ocenar Race Europe 2025 in early September in Montenegro, which cost the state treasury 5,25 million euros. “Dvadeset prvi maj” was sold for 7,5 million dollars, which is also far below its market value, which is around 10 million dollars.
Such a sale of ships by the Montenegrin state company also attracted the attention of specialized world media that follow the maritime industry, so the reputable portal “Trade Winds” published a news story about this trade that stunned experts under the title “Danish shipowner grabs the fleet of a European bulk carrier saved from bankruptcy.” “Trade Winds” emphasizes in its text that “the ships “Kotor” and “Dvadeset prvi maj” (both built in 2012) were sold for a bargain price of a total of 13,25 million dollars, as stated in the government document.
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In the meantime, it turned out that the advertisement for the sale of the ships of Crnogorska plovidba, which was published on July 17, had significantly more favorable offers for the state of Montenegro, both financially and otherwise, than the Danish one, which was accepted. Thus, the Turkish EOS group offered to pay 16 million dollars for both ships, to keep them under the Montenegrin flag (which the Danes did not do), to continue to board them with crews from Montenegro, and even to form a management company in Kotor that would manage the two, as well as other ships that the EOS group was prepared to entrust to its new Montenegrin subsidiary in Kotor.
The Turkish offer, however, was rejected by the management of Crnogorska plovidba, led by the chairman of the Board of Directors. Peter Janković and the outgoing executive director Vladimir Tadic, rejected, allegedly due to subsequent conditions imposed by the potential Turkish buyer and his delay in closing the transaction. EOS Group, however, firmly denied this and claimed that the sale of the ships failed because the Montenegrins allegedly informed them that due to the holidays in August, the courts in our country were closed, which is why it was allegedly not possible to register a mortgage in favor of EOS Group on the ship “Kotor” in order to ensure the completion of the sale after the Turks paid the advance for the ships. The Commercial Court denied to “Vijesti” that the court was allegedly closed due to the holidays and confirmed that during August and September, Crnogorska plovidba did not submit any request to register a mortgage on the ships “Kotor” and “Dvadeset prvi maj”.
EOS Group has subsequently announced that it will sue the state and Crnogorska Plovidba for damaging the reputation of the Turkish company, namely the Government's claim that EOS Group is allegedly to blame for the delay in the sale, that the Turks reneged on their commitments and imposed conditions on the seller beyond the terms of the tender. EOS Group stated in its media response that communication with them regarding the sale of the Crnogorska ships was conducted by a "state secretary" at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs whom they did not appoint, and the department headed by Minister Filip Radulović (PES) denied that communication with the Turks was conducted by the state secretary. Pavle Tripković.
Immediately before the announcement and throughout the entire duration of the sale of the ships, the leaders of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the Executive Director of Montenegro repeatedly presented the ships of Montenegro in public appearances as allegedly poorly built, of poor quality and claimed that they were in a catastrophic condition. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs even published photographs from the “Kotor” on several occasions that allegedly show the poor and defective condition of the ship, which, however, later turned out to be at least a year old and do not objectively show the current condition of the ship, which is far better than the ministry had publicly presented.
The manner in which the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, the Government and the current management of Montenegro conducted the sale of the ships was heavily criticized by the professional public, especially by the Association of Sea Captains of Montenegro from Kotor, which in this regard requested a consultative hearing before the competent committee of the Parliament of Montenegro, the initiation of a parliamentary investigation into the work of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the involvement of the Special State Prosecutor's Office and the State Audit Institution in all this.
Hearing at the Committee on Economy, Finance and Budget
Last week, the Parliamentary Committee on Economy, Finance and Budget decided to hold a control hearing of the authorities regarding the sale of Crnogorska plovidba ships.
President of the Committee and the Social Democrats (SD) parliamentary group and representative of the European Union Boris Mugoša He said that the Board, at his proposal and the initiative of the Sea Captains' Association, decided on a hearing to be held in the first half of November.
The Minister of Maritime Affairs, Filip Radulović, representatives of Crnogorska plovidba and representatives of the Association of Sea Captains of Montenegro will be invited to the hearing.
"Kotor" was sold for 5,75 million dollars (about 4,92 million euros), which is significantly lower than even the allocation that the Ministry of Maritime Affairs had for the organization of the sailing race Ocenar Race Europe 2025 in early September in Montenegro, which cost the state treasury 5,25 million euros.
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