How the election year began: Employees of the Assembly were given money

The election year began with the distribution of money to the employees of the Parliament of Montenegro for the improvement of living conditions, and the amounts ranged from 2.000 to 40.000 euros.

This is shown by a document of the General Secretariat of the Assembly, in which it is stated that the money was distributed through the Government Commission for Housing Issues, and which "Vijesti" had access to.

54 employees of the Parliament received help in this way, from those in the office of the President of the Assembly and the General Secretariat, to registrars and drivers.

The most money, EUR 40.000 each, went to Jelena Radonjić, the assistant secretary general of the parliament, and Vlatko Šćepanović, the secretary of the Legislative Committee, who was also engaged in the Committee for the Reform of Electoral Legislation last year.

After the negative reactions of part of the public to the Government's non-transparent distribution of apartments and under privileged conditions to public officials and civil servants, the executive branch announced that this year it will change the way to help solve the housing issue through its Commission. Such a recommendation was formally sent by the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, so it was announced that the regulations would be changed so that each branch of government could solve housing issues.

In the document that "Vijesti" had access to, it is written that the "funds are realised" to parliamentary officials through the Government Commission, because the Parliament did not receive the consent of the Ministry of Finance to have an item in its budget for those purposes.

It cannot be concluded from it on what basis the money was distributed, whether there was public advertising and, if not, on whose recommendation the list was made.

In two separate decisions, it is stated that funds were paid for nine employees of the Assembly, that is, in another case - money for improving living conditions for 45 parliament employees.

On that occasion, the Deputy General Secretary Marija Mirjačić, then Ana Radonjić, one of Ivan Brajović's nine advisers, received 15 euros each.

Smaller amounts were given to the heads of bookkeeping, finance, registrars, archivists, drivers, and associates on the internship and volunteer work program at the Educational Center of the Assembly.

Assistance to the head of the IT sector on two occasions, support for the internal auditor as well

The head of the Department for Information and Communication Technologies of the Assembly Vuko Perišić, a former councilor of the DPS in Cetinje, received help to improve housing conditions through the Government Commission.

He received 2018 euros in 1.650, when the Assembly published an ad for improving housing conditions. In January of this year, as written in the document, he received 8.500 euros.

This year's list of those who received financial support through the Government Commission includes the internal auditor of the Assembly, Vaso Vasović, who received 15.000 euros for improving living conditions. The department for internal audit of the parliament was formed after the State Audit Institution established that the parliament operated outside the legal regulations.