The building of the Academy of Knowledge in Budva, which houses several faculties, the National Library... 15 years after it was built, it is still waiting for a use permit. The Special State Prosecutor's Office received documentation earlier about how the Municipality of Budva, while it was managed by the DPS-SDP coalition with the Podgorica company "Cijevna Komerc", built this building, but so far no indictment has been brought against anyone.
The fact that the building does not have a use permit is the main obstacle to Budva getting a University Center, and the whole problem, as the executive director of the Budva Academy of Knowledge said in an interview with "Vijesti" Valentina Dabović the Cabinet of the President of the State was recently introduced Jakov Milatović.
"Knowledge Academy Budva is still waiting for the use permit. The complete case, the dispute with the company 'Cijevna komerc', which worked on the building, was handed over to the Special State Prosecutor's Office almost a year and a half ago by the founder of the Academy of Knowledge, Municipality of Budva. This status quo situation makes it impossible to expand the offer of the Academy of Knowledge with the aim of forming a University Center, as well as the opening of several departments of renowned faculties from the region, primarily for information technology, which is an imperative nowadays to offer modern and quality education to young people," said Dabović.
However, she hopes that the problem will finally be solved, to the satisfaction of her users and future students.
"Despite this aggravating circumstance, in the balance sheet and performance, the business of the Academy of Knowledge has increased by 40 percent in the two previous years. All capacity is filled, they are used for commercial and academic purposes, and there is already a long waiting list for free offices and garage spaces," said Dabović.
Precisely because of so much interest, as she emphasized, the further development of the Academy would have to go in the direction of capacity expansion, in such a way that the existing fourth floor of the Academy will be adapted and offered for lease according to the existing modalities.
"In order to achieve this, among other things, it is necessary to repeal the Decision on the transfer of the fourth floor of the Academy for relocation and the needs of Radio Television Budva, for which otherwise there are no technical possibilities. Also, it is necessary to renovate the building as indicated by the Commission for the review of the performed works. The roof of the building, as well as the facade with the canopy, are in such bad condition that, even in the event of a slightly stronger wind, it represents a potential danger for passers-by. With those necessary interventions on the building, the conditions for obtaining a use permit would be obtained, and then the adaptation of the fourth floor would be started," said Dabović.
As for the work of educational institutions in Montenegro, it is necessary to have accreditation, for which the condition, among other things, is that the building has a use permit, for reasons of urgency and importance, the Academy of Knowledge informed the Cabinet of the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović, who offered help and support in solving problems as quickly as possible.
"Obtaining a use permit for the building of the Academy of Knowledge in Budva opened up numerous other opportunities and complementary activities, one of which is the construction of a student dormitory next to the Academy building, on municipal land. With the construction of the first student dormitory in Budva, foreign students would be provided with accommodation and food, and the conditions for the development of (competitive) congress tourism would be created, because in addition to the existing amphitheatres, accommodation in a special part of the student dormitory would also be possible. Of course, in this way, the need for new jobs would be created, that is, unemployment would be reduced by employing young people," said Dabović.
Administration of the mayor Marko Bata Carevica already in December 2021 announced the initiation of two court cases against the company "Cijevna komerc", because the contract for the construction of the Academy of Knowledge building was not respected. The then Secretary for Investments Joko Popovic submitted documentation to his colleagues in the Secretariat for Property Protection to start two lawsuits for the return of excess transferred property that "Cijevna komerc" took from the Municipality (4.400 square meters of land), but also because it did not remove the deficiencies noted by the Commission for Technical Inspection and supervisory authority.
The contract from 2007 that the Municipality concluded with "Cijevna komerc" was also submitted, as well as a copy of the letter from 2016 where that company confirms that they were handed over surplus land worth 750.117 euros. The municipality insists that the property "Cijevna komerc" be registered in the real estate deeds in the name of claims.
After the change of the DPs-SD government, the new city administration initiated a procedure in 2017 to get the Knowledge Academy a use permit, but this is practically impossible, because the technical deficiencies have not been eliminated. The Special State Prosecutor's Office was also interested in the contract concluded by the former city administration with "Cijevna benzoran", which requested that the complete documentation be submitted to them.
Million dollar fraud without an epilogue
Data on how much the construction of the Academy of Knowledge cost the citizens of Budva was first disclosed in 2012, when it was announced that the Municipality participated with 12.310 square meters of land in Bečići, which were transferred to the ownership of "Cijevna komerc", businessman Danilo Petrović, and an additional 2.754.377 euros in money.
Back in 2017, then-mayor Dragan Krapović (Democrat) assessed that it was a million-dollar embezzlement, announcing to the public at the time that the building of the Budva Academy of Knowledge cost the citizens 6,6 million euros.
Krapović then disclosed that there are two contracts with "Cijevna komerc: one for 2,8 million for construction and another contract for equipment for 3,8 million euros and that "neither of the other contracts have been finalized by the supervisory service". Stating that technical reception was attempted twice, in 2010 and 2013, but the reports were negative, Krapović then assessed that everything was done on purpose and that it was a case of fraud.
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