Milo Bozovic, the detained former mayor of Budva, received 2024 euros in personal income in 18.087. Judging by the time sheets that are the basis for calculating earnings, the former first man of the capital of Montenegrin tourism had full work output every month - 174 working hours, without exceptions.
Božović cost Budva's coffers 24.812 euros (gross) last year, and his net monthly salary was 1.480 euros. He also felt the benefits of the "Europe Now 2" economic program, receiving 1.588 euros in the last three months of last year.
The work lists for the former head of Budva from January to August were signed and forwarded to the Secretariat for Finance by the former President of the Municipal Assembly (MA). Nikola Jovanovic, and then, from September to December, Božović's work records were kept by the secretary of the Budva Assembly. Berislav Fabris.
Worksheets show that the former first man of Budva did not use his annual leave, that he was not on sick leave in 2024, nor was he absent from work, because it was duly recorded that he had 174 working hours each month.
The Special State Prosecutor's Office, in several criminal proceedings, charges Božović with being part of organized criminal groups that smuggled cocaine internationally.
Government warning has no effect
The issue of Božović's status, including his salary, was raised by the Government almost a year ago by adopting the Decision on Warning, dated March 14, 2024. At that time, in accordance with the Labor Law, it warned the Budva Municipal Council to temporarily remove Božović from work within 10 days due to the imposition of a detention measure during the period of detention.
The same law stipulates that during temporary absence from work, the employee is entitled to compensation for earnings in the amount of one third, and if he supports a family, in the amount of one half of the monthly earnings he earned in the month before the temporary absence.
However, the Budva Municipal Assembly session was not held, so the detained Božović was not "temporarily suspended from work", and the Ministry of Public Administration (MPA) was, as it stated, "concerned" about this.
"From the documentation submitted to this body, it follows that the President of the Budva Municipal Assembly convened two sessions with the following agenda items: Proposal for a decision on the adoption of the Strategic Development Plan of the Budva Municipality 2024 - 2028, Proposal for a resolution on granting consent to the appointment of the Vice-President of the Budva Municipality, Proposal for a resolution on the dismissal of the President of the Budva Municipality. Since the Budva Municipal Assembly failed to implement all obligations from the Decision on the Warning of the Government, they adopted a Decision on the shortening of the mandate of the Municipal Assembly. Accordingly, the Budva Municipal Assembly was not dissolved because the mandate was shortened and elections were called," the MPA's response to "Vijesti" stated at the time.
The vice-president of the Municipality of Budva has been dismissed Jasna Dokić, called on the Government to react several times. First, immediately after the legal conditions had been met, which was six months after his arrest (Božović was deprived of his liberty on April 13, 2023) when he was supposed to be dismissed, the cabinet Dritan Abazović, and then Milojko Spajić They did not show the Montenegrin public that a man who is under serious accusations and against whom two indictments have been filed in the meantime, that he was part of organized drug groups that smuggled tons of cocaine, cannot be at the head of a city.
Dokić's letters
The former vice-president of the Municipality of Budva sent urgent letters to Prime Minister Spajić and the Minister of Public Administration Maraš Dukaj, but also to the President of Montenegro Jakov Milatović, warning that Božović first illegally dismissed her at the beginning of December last year, and then that she was illegally in office.
Dokić called on Dukaj's department to proceed without delay with the proposed procedure for dismissing Božović, all in accordance with Article 63 of the Law on Local Self-Government. She pointed out that the conditions prescribed by that article had been met for the Government to dismiss the first man of Budva because he had not held office for a period longer than six months, and primarily because he had not given a single order for the implementation of the strategic development plan of the municipality and other development plans and programs, as well as strategic documents of national importance, and that she, as vice president, did not have guidelines that would enable the exercise of citizens' rights and obligations.
"Furthermore, I have not received any guidelines for the adoption of plans and programs, nor any elements for the preparation of the report on the work of the President of the Municipality of Budva. Also, I have not received any guidelines from the President of the Municipality of Budva for the announcement of a competition for the appointment of persons who lead local government bodies, and in that sense, currently, in the Municipality of Budva there are almost no managers of administrative bodies in full capacity, and a large number of bodies have no managers at all because we have not received any guidelines from the President of the Municipality of Budva. Due to the above, especially in accordance with the provisions of Article 63 of the Law on Local Self-Government, I believe that it is urgent for the Government to protect the legality and to dismiss the President of the Municipality of Budva in order to carry out the election of a new person who performs his duties in full capacity, in accordance with the Law," Dokić wrote in one of the letters.
She also warned the head of the Government that Božović has not had a permanent residence in the territory of Budva for a long time, and certainly for a period longer than six months, but rather in the territory of Danilovgrad, and in this sense, the conditions have been met for his dismissal in accordance with Article 65, point 2 of the Law on Local Self-Government, which stipulates that the mandate of the Mayor of the Municipality terminates by force of law upon a change of residence.
"I am also aware that Mr. Milo Božović also has a permanent residence in the territory of the city of Belgrade, so it is necessary, through a request for legal assistance, to examine the truthfulness of these allegations and to obtain written confirmation of this from the authorities of the Republic of Serbia, the city of Belgrade," Dokić stated.
Božović's salary is not within the jurisdiction of the MPA
She recalled that the Government gave the Budva Municipal Assembly a deadline of March 25th last year to make the necessary decisions and strategic development plans, and to suspend Božović.
"By appointing me as the Vice President of the Municipality of Budva and adopting the so-called truncated Strategic Plan and shortening the mandate, the Budva Municipal Council avoided the introduction of compulsory administration. Since on 2 December 12, the President of the Municipality of Budva, Mr. Milo Božović, initiated the procedure of 'returning all competencies to his own hands' by initiating my dismissal and since no action was taken to draft the Strategic Plan, I believe that all conditions have been met for the implementation of the aforementioned Decision of the Government of Montenegro from March 2024 on the suspension or dismissal of the President of the Municipality of Budva, as well as the introduction of the so-called compulsory administration, i.e. the adoption of a decision on the appointment of a board of trustees," Dokić warned in the letter.
Božović has not submitted a single report to the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption since March 2020, when he was the manager of Budva, and since then he has been appointed to municipal positions three times - in the summer of 2022 as vice-mayor, then after his resignation Marko Bata Carevica for the Mayor of the Municipality, and after the 2022 elections he was re-elected as the first man of Budva.
Dokić's letters remained unanswered.
The Public Administration Department told "Vijesti" that issues related to the payment of personal income are not within their jurisdiction, but rather within the jurisdiction of the local government unit.
The "Vijesti" editorial team obtained data on Božović's income with the help of the application of the Network for the Affirmation of the Non-Governmental Sector (MANS) - "Ask the Institution".
Bonus video:
