Assistant Director of the Institute for Public Health Miljana Pavličić More than nine years ago, she was convicted for the criminal offense of falsifying a document, but despite the verdict, she continued to work and progress in that health facility.
She was given a suspended sentence for falsifying information about her completed studies at the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Belgrade, the Basic State Prosecutor's Office (ODT) and the Basic Court in Podgorica confirmed to "Vijesta" yesterday.
Head of ODT Podgorica Dusko Milanović "Vijesta" replied yesterday that the MoJ was found guilty by the verdict of the Basic Court in Podgorica from March 28, 2014, and according to the ODT indictment from January 31, 2014, for the criminal offense of document forgery.
The same prosecutor's office, as previously announced, formed a new case after "Vijesti" wrote about the fact that the assistant director of the Institute of Public Health (IJZ) has been working in responsible positions for years on the basis of a falsified certificate of completed studies at the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Belgrade. That case was assigned to the prosecutor who implements measures and actions.
In the meantime, the management of IJZ initiated disciplinary proceedings against Pavličić.
The conviction did not even reach the IJZ
According to the answers of the Basic Court in Podgorica, the conviction from nine years ago did not even reach her employer - IJZ.
"We inform you that at the time of conducting the procedure for the business mark K. no. 76/14, according to the generals given during the trial, the defendant MoJ was not employed, according to which the judgment in question could not even be delivered to the Institute for Public Health, as her employer", writes the answer of the Basic Court in Podgorica.
From Pavličić's employment record, which "Vijesti" had access to, it cannot be determined that she ever terminated her employment at the IJZ, in the period from 2010 to 2023. In that document, it is stated that she has been employed as an intern in the laboratory since 2010, that from September 15, 2011 to February 22, 2018, Pavličić worked as an analyst, and her job description included determination of quality parameters in foodstuffs, spectrophotometric determination of content phosphate, nitrite and diastase, determination of the content of preservatives, sweeteners, contaminants, HMF sugar using HPLC and ELISA tests, record keeping and preparation of documentation for accreditation.
Previous director of IJZ Boban Mugoša He told "Vijesta" yesterday that during his mandate, no one informed that institution about the conviction against Pavličić for falsifying a document.
He explained that at the time of the verdict she was employed at that institution.
Mugoša said that the institution did not receive any information about the falsified diploma from the Ministry of Education, which in 2010 received a confirmation from the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Belgrade that the certificate of completed studies was falsified, but not from the prosecution.
Mugoša also said that Pavličić, before starting an employment relationship, also submitted a work book in which it is stated that she is a biochemist. He assessed that Pavličić performed her part of the job, as an analyst, correctly and that there was nothing to indicate that she had a fake degree.
The IJZ said yesterday that even the current administration, as of December 2020, had no information from the court regarding the verdict.
"The current management of IJZ had no information from the court regarding the proceedings against the assistant director Miljana Pavličić. For the above reason, Ms. Pavličić has not been sanctioned so far. Otherwise, procedures would be initiated immediately. In view of the current events, the management of the Institute initiated a disciplinary procedure against Mrs. Pavličić, which is ongoing", it is stated in the answers of the IJZ.
Decided on the employment of candidates in the IJZ
On Friday, the Labor Inspectorate initiated the supervision procedure regarding Pavličić's employment at the IJZ.
As announced by the Directorate for Inspection Affairs, the control was initiated ex officio, and based on allegations published in the "News" that Pavličić worked for years in management positions with a certificate of completed studies at the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Belgrade, which was falsified.
According to publicly available documentation, Pavličić performed important tasks at the IJZ for years, and she was also the president of the Commission for the Accreditation of Health Institutions of the Ministry of Health.
During this year, she was also a member of the Commission that conducted interviews with candidates who responded to job advertisements at that institution and participated in the evaluation of their competencies.
Pavličić even presented herself as a master of biochemistry in her biography, as a panelist at an event organized by the Centers for Excellence, an initiative of the European Union.
Another criminal charge for a fake degree
Yesterday, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation submitted a new criminal complaint to the primary state prosecutor in Podgorica due to the well-founded suspicion that another person submitted a fake diploma.
It was announced from that ministry that the report was filed against a person with the initials A. Č.
"Deciding on the submitted request for recognition of a foreign document on acquired higher education, the competent higher education institution determined that the attached document was not issued in that institution and that it is not authentic, which is why there are reasonable suspicions that A. Č. committed the criminal offense of falsifying a document from Art. 412 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro", said the department.
They also said that they will continue with this practice in the future, and that they expect the authorities to, within their powers, take all the measures and actions necessary to determine the allegations from the application and thus jointly provide an adequate institutional and systemic response to the abuse of educational documents.
Penalties for document forgery
The Criminal Code stipulates a prison sentence of up to three years for the criminal offense of falsifying a document.
"Whoever makes a false or issues an untrue document or alters a true document with the intention of using such a document as a true one, or who uses such a false or untrue document as a true one or acquires it for the purpose of using it, shall be punished with imprisonment for up to three years," the law states.
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