Two owners, two accounts - one of which is blocked, two companies - one without a license to operate, that is the brief description of the business of the "Riviera" hotel in Petrovac, whose illegal operation was tolerated by the state.
The tourist inspection conducted an inspection and issued six misdemeanor warrants and one request to initiate misdemeanor proceedings, "Vijesti" learned.
Although the operations of the company "Euromix Trade", which officially manages the hotel, were inspected by the Tax Inspectorate for a month and a half, the institution told "Vijesti" that they do not comment on individual cases, the identity or work of companies.
The owners of the company “Euromix trade” are half Pelka i Miloš PerovićThe company's account has been blocked for several years due to mortgages, unpaid debts and other liabilities, currently amounting to around 742 thousand euros.
Pelka Perović has so far submitted numerous initiatives to several state institutions to inspect the hotel's operations, claiming that the management is not the owner company, but the company "Stellia Hospitality DFS". She points out that this company operates within the hotel and charges for services, even though it does not have a permit to operate.
“Vijesti” asked the company “Euromix trade” what model they operate under and who really manages the hotel, how they operate if the company’s account has been blocked for years, who issues invoices, whether it is true that “Stellia” charges for services and whether they have permits. Similar questions were forwarded to the company “Stellia Hospitality DFS”, with inquiries as to whether it is true that they have a ban on work and whether they have appealed against it, on what basis they manage the hotel and whether they really charge for services. Answers had not been submitted by the time this issue was finalised.
According to "Vijesti", the Ministry of Tourism has issued an approval and permit to the company "Euromix Trade" to carry out catering activities, but the same document is not in the possession of the company "Stellia". The source emphasized that in the event that "Stellia" really charges for services in "Riviera" - this should be dealt with by the Tax Office.
"The tourist inspection has determined that the number of rooms in the hotel matches the number in the issued permit. In the case of 'Riviera', the tourist inspection has issued six misdemeanor orders and filed one order to initiate misdemeanor proceedings," the source pointed out.
FINDINGS, SOLUTIONS AND APPEALS
Although the Tourist Inspection determined that the hotel has the number of rooms from the permit, Pelka Perović claims in letters to that institution from April this year that the document refers to 116 accommodation units, while the hotel, as she states, has 91.
She emphasized that the hotel is in the process of foreclosure and that it was sold last year, but that the process was canceled.
In addition to "Riviera", there are also their unfinished hotel facilities in Petrovac, one of which, according to an earlier article in "Vijesti", was taken over by the German financial institution "DEG" after a years-long dispute, due to a loan that "Euromix Trade" did not repay.
Last year, a sale was organized through an executor at which "Vila Oliva" was Žarko Rakčević made the best offer, but the procedure was ultimately annulled due to the interpretation of the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property that the sale was prohibited, because the sale of illegally constructed buildings also applies to those acquired through public enforcement actions and court proceedings.
"Given that a creditor's note has been registered on the property as part of the enforcement proceedings, the operating permit can be linked exclusively to the company 'Euromix Trade', as the holder of the rights to the property in question, while any other action constitutes circumvention of the legal framework and a threat to the rights of the creditor. In such circumstances, continuing to operate through the company 'Stellia Hospitality DFS' is unacceptable. It is necessary for 'Euromix Trade' to establish full control over its own property and operations, bearing in mind that I am a co-owner with a 50 percent share and that operations must be conducted within the framework of the law and through the license holder," Pelka Perović states in the letter.
According to the documentation that "Vijesti" had access to, the Tourist Inspection, with a labor and food inspector, visited "Riviera" in early May and determined that they had a permit, but that there was no decision on categorization, and that this request was submitted later.
"It was determined that the company 'Stellia Hospitality DFS' from Podgorica operates within the hotel, but that it does not have a permit to operate. A decision was made to ban the operation. Misdemeanor orders were also issued, the responsible persons in the companies had no objections to the established factual situation, but they did not want to sign the minutes and misdemeanor orders," the tourist inspector's notice states, noting that all measures will be taken if anything changes in further work.
MARKET IN THE CASH OFFICE INSTEAD OF ON ACCOUNTS
The operations of the company "Euromix Trade" were also inspected by the Tax Inspectorate from mid-May to the end of June this year, which noted in the minutes that they monitored turnover through bank accounts and payments of purchases from August 2023 to the end of April 2026. The inspector stated in her report from the end of June that "Euromix" did not pay cash in the amount of 1,24 million into its blocked accounts from August 2023 to the end of last year, but rather received it in the cash register - from where it made cash payments.
"By doing so, they acted contrary to Article 7 of the Law on the Prevention of Illegal Business and thus committed a punishable offense... Article 17 of the Law stipulates that when, during the inspection process, the inspector determines that the provisions of this law have been violated, in addition to the measures established by the law regulating inspection supervision, he has the obligation and authority to order the taking of measures - prohibiting the performance of activities, or the performance of certain tasks until the irregularities are eliminated," the document states.
"Vijesti" does not know whether the company has complained.
It also states that “Euromix” and “Stellia” have a management contract to manage the “Riviera” hotel with an annex, due to which “Stellia” owns five electronic payment devices (ENU) in the hotel. According to this contract, “Stellia” is to pay 150 thousand euros plus VAT annually for the management of “Riviera”, while they are given the right to keep the net profit.
The inspector stated that after the Inspection Affairs Directorate banned the operation of "Stellia hospitality DFS" in 2022, the deal did not materialize, but traffic through ENU continued. It is emphasized that "Stellia" sued the Ministry of Tourism, Ecology, Sustainable Development of the North before the Administrative Court and that the procedure is ongoing, because in March 2024, their application for a permit to operate in a hospitality facility was rejected as irregular.
Control without details
The Tax Administration does not comment on individual taxpayer cases, nor on the identity, business operations or status of their companies, they told "Vijesti".
The editorial team asked them whether they had conducted surveillance in the case of the "Riviera" hotel, whether there were any irregularities and whether any fines, bans or other measures had been imposed.
They emphasized that they implement measures and actions daily against those in whom irregularities are discovered, and that they act exclusively legally and consistently, regardless of the type of business and size of the company.
"In accordance with the legal provisions on tax secrecy, the Tax Administration does not comment on individual taxpayer cases, including the identity, business operations or status of any economic entity. This restriction applies equally to all taxpayers, without exception."
They emphasized that they are continuously working to combat tax evasion, which is why a large number of misdemeanor and criminal charges have been filed. They claim that they involve other institutions when necessary, that cooperation is at a high level, with regular exchange of information.
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