The Government has not yet submitted to the Parliament for ratification the International Agreement on the Exchange of Data on the Assets of Public Officials, which was signed less than two years ago by the then Minister of Justice Vladimir Leposavic.
The Ministry of Justice told "Vijesti" that they will send it to the Assembly's address this month.
"The process of ratification of the International Agreement on the exchange of data for the verification of asset declarations is closely related to the preparation of other legal acts that will significantly strengthen the legislative framework for the fight against organized crime and corruption and that will enable the competent institutions to more efficiently implement the process of confiscation of illegally acquired property benefits ", the department said Marko Kovač.
Kovač is staying in Belgrade today, and it was announced earlier that this agreement will also be a topic.
It was signed in Belgrade in mid-March 2021 by the representatives of Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
In the explanation of the International Agreement, it is pointed out that "many corrupt public officials spend their real wealth abroad".
"They buy real estate, own companies or deposit money in foreign bank accounts. It is relatively easy to hide wealth. Public officials simply do not report their foreign assets, even though reporting foreign assets is mandatory in most, if not all, asset reporting systems," the explanation states.
Public officials submit income and property reports to the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption. Regular annual property records are delivered by the end of March.
The Ministry told "Vijesta" that in addition to the ratification of the Agreement, laws on amendments to the Law on Courts, the Law on Civil Procedure, and the signing of the Hague Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters are also planned for this quarter. It is added that they belong to a set of regulations that will accompany the Law on Amendments to the Law on Confiscation of Property Gains from Criminal Activity.
"During this year, the Ministry of Justice will prepare amendments to the laws related to international legal assistance, which we also consider important because of the property located outside the territory of Montenegro," the department's response states.
It was also clarified that discussions will be held with the representatives of the judiciary of Serbia and North Macedonia, in order to inform about the legal status of the Agreement in those countries.
Bonus video:
