Before the start of this year's fair season at the Budva Adriatic Fair, the Administration of Local Public Revenues of the Municipality of Budva blocked the fair complex due to a tax debt of almost 150 euros for two companies controlled by businessman Duško Knežević, who is wanted by the state.
The mortgage of the Administration of Local Public Revenue in the total amount of 52.932,17 euros in the name of real estate tax, as stated in the real estate list that "Vijesti" had access to, was registered on the property of the company "Expo invest", in which Knežević is the authorized representative and director. , and the founder is "Adriatic Fair". Also, the municipal administration registered a mortgage in the amount of EUR 92.209,73 of real estate tax and property of the company "Expo Budva", a joint company of the Adriatic Fair and the Municipality.
We are talking about companies that are tax debtors and on whose property the local government has previously registered mortgages as a guarantee. In question are the plots on which the fair halls and other facilities are located.
The latest blockade occurs when the Adriatic Fair announces the start of this year's season with numerous events that begin in ten days at the Adriatic Fair.
The municipality and "Jadranski sajam", a company majority-owned by the Atlas Group, in which Duško Knežević is the chairman of the board of directors, founded the joint company "Expo Budva", with the aim of building a modern fair and congress center. However, that idea did not come to fruition, and the Municipality had its own representatives in the management structure for years. The disagreement occurred a year and a half ago, after, despite the approval of the Municipality of Budva, "Expo Budva" gave consent to the Turkish company "Mia investments" to build a luxury hotel "Mia Budva" with two towers of 15 and 16 floors, on a plot of 8.500 square in front of the fair halls, which is owned by the company "Safiro Beach", and from which, according to Knežević, the President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović and the former Minister of Sustainable Development Branimir Gvozdenović are standing. They rejected such claims. The Turks also received approval from the Ministry of Sustainable Development for their project, but the Municipality disputed that decision before the Administrative Court.
The entire assets of Knežević in Budva in September of last year were also blocked by the Special Prosecutor's Office, after the High Court passed a temporary measure prohibiting the management of the assets of companies, of which Knežević is the real or hidden owner.
The list of companies also includes Knežević's "Adriatic Fair", "Expo invest" and "Expo Budva", where a large fair complex with halls is registered.
The Special Prosecutor's Office opened several investigations and indicted Duško Knežević and his closest associates. The businessman for whom a red Interpol warrant has been issued is in London, from where he accuses the current political elite of Montenegro, led by Milo Đukanović, of trying to seize his property, especially that in Budva.
From Milivoj Katnić's team, Knežević was identified as the organizer of criminal groups, which caused multimillion-dollar damage to the state budget.
The Special Prosecutor's Office is particularly interested in "Expo Budva"
The Special Prosecutor's Office is particularly interested in the company "Expo Budva", which requested in writing from the Mayor of Budva Marko Bata Carevic last year that the Municipality immediately submit complete documentation. The investigators are interested in all data, information, as well as documentation about the founding role of the Municipality of Budva, which contributed a non-monetary amount of 1,1 million euros to "Expo Budva".
With the contract on the transfer of real estate rights, which was concluded at the end of August 2009, the Municipality acquired a share of 21,96 percent in the newly founded company with its plots in the area of the fair.
It is about two plots of 556 and 886 square meters, valued at 1.145.600 euros, which the Municipality, with the votes of the councilors of the DPS-SDP coalition, entered as founding capital in "Expo Budva". The prosecutors are interested in who and how assessed these municipal lands, but they are also interested in the financial transactions that were carried out through this company for the past ten years, since it was founded.
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