Pljevljak Radovan Koćal from the Pljeval village of Vrulja faces a fine of up to 2.000 euros, because as the president of the School Board of Elementary School "Mile Peruničić" from neighboring Maoč, he did not report his assets and income to the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, although he performs this function without compensation.
Seven students attend classes in that village school.
Koćalo told "Vijesta" that he received a summons to report to the court in Žabljak on October 18, when he will probably be sentenced for not declaring his assets.
He has been a member of the School Board since last school year, and supports his family of four by working as a roadman on the local road and farming.
Koćalo is thinking that if he is punished, he will go to prison and thus pay off the sentence.
"Let the criminals walk around, and let us honest people, who still want to help society, go to prison," said Koćalo.
Agency for Prevention of Corruption, headed by him Jelena Perović, in August 2022, informed the Ministry of Education that they had expanded the list of public officials and that members of the SC must declare assets.
"Vijesti" also announced last September that school principals found themselves in a problem in a few days - resignations were received from members of the governing bodies of schools and kindergartens...
“Instead of being rewarded for accepting to be a member of the School Board, and I note that I do so like all other members without any compensation, I will be penalized for not providing information about income and assets. I, who live by honest work, and am ready to help the work of the school, should pay a fine, and criminals are walking around the country. No one is chasing them, nor is their name allowed to be mentioned," said Koćalo to "Vijesta".
He said that the director of the school informed him that he should submit a report, but that he expected that the Agency would provide him with a form that he should fill out.
"Instead, they handed me over to the court for violating the law, where I face a fine of up to 2.000 euros. It's even worse that I have to go to court on October 18 instead of Pljevlja to Žabljak and expose myself to additional expenses. All this because I wanted to help the work of the school because no one wanted to accept being a member of the School Board, without which the school practically could not function, because it makes many decisions important for its functioning", said Koćalo, who a few years ago returned from Podgorica to the family estate in Vrulja.
He believes that the Agency should have warned him first that he did not hand over the property certificate and only then, if he does not do so, hand him over to the court.
According to the Law, a public official is obliged to submit to the Agency for the Prevention of Conflict of Interest a report on his property and income, as well as the property and income of his married and common-law spouse and children, if they live in a joint household, to the Agency for the Prevention of Conflict of Interest.
The Law on Prevention of Conflict of Interest prescribes a penalty of 500 to 2000 euros if a public official does not submit a report on income and assets to the Agency within 30 days of assuming office.
According to the letter of the Law, a public official is an appointed or appointed person in a state body, state administration body, judicial body, local self-government body, local government body, independent body, regulatory body, public institution, public enterprise or other economic company, i.e. a legal entity which exercises public authority, i.e. activities of public interest or is state-owned, as well as a person whose election, appointment or appointment is approved by the authority, regardless of the permanence of the position and compensation.
Koćalo points out that it is not clear to him who could pass such a law and oblige people who do some humane work, without personal interest, to submit a report and expose them to the risk of potential penalties if they do not do so.
He says that recently a member of the school from another rural school received a court summons, because she "forgot to register a meadow in the property register".
"It is unfortunate what they are doing to us, and we are just trying to help the school work. It is precisely for these reasons that many schools in Pljevlja do not have school boards. I do all of this without compensation, even at a disadvantage because I have to leave my job to attend School Board meetings. I do this because I care that this school works. Despite this punishment, I will not leave the School Board. No one will accept this job precisely for these reasons. Why would someone put themselves at risk of potential fines. They equated school board members, who do it without compensation, with those who receive thousands of euros for membership in various board of directors," said Koćalo.
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