The current acting director of RTV Podgorica and a candidate for this position in the full term, Vladimir Otašević, is in the zone of criminal responsibility because when he was appointed as the acting director, and possibly during the competition for the election of the director of RTV Podgorica in the full term, he submitted a forged document for which Article 412 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro prescribes a penalty of up to three years in prison, the Media Center announced.
Article 412 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro prescribes:
"(1) 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 by imprisonment for up to three years".
"Namely, Vladimir Otašević, the current acting director of RTV Podgorica, as part of the documentation for the election of the acting director of the local public broadcaster, which took place at the Council session held on December 12 last year, submitted a statement claiming that he is not in a conflict of interest prescribed by Article 29 Decisions on the establishment of a limited liability company Local public broadcaster Radio Television Podgorica The media center indicated earlier that Vladmir Otašević could not be appointed acting director of RTV Podgorica because, contrary to Article 29 of the Decision, Vladimir Otašević's wife owned 90 percent of Montenegro Press Company doo, which, among other things, is involved in the production of audio-visual content and advertising. Regardless of this fact, the Council of RTV Podgorica appointed Otašević as the acting director of RTV Podgorica, by a majority of votes," states the statement, signed by the director of that non-governmental organization (NGO). Goran Đurović.
The Media Center pointed out that Otašević submitted a statement during the competition for the full term director of RTV Podgorica, which was announced on January 9 and ended on January 24 of this year, in which he also claims that he is not in a conflict of interest, although according to data from the PRESS Portal itself, at that moment his wife was the owner of 90 percent of the company Montenegro Press Company doo, which, among other things, is involved in the production of audiovisual content.
"According to the available information from the Impressum of Portal PRESS dated January 26, at that moment Otašević's wife is still the owner of 90% of Montenegro Press Company doo. The fact that Vladimir Otašević's wife is no longer the owner proves that the Media Center's accusations are justified 90 percent of the company Montenegro Press Company doo has already been replaced by another person (Dragan Leković) as the owner of 90 percent of the company," the Media Center added.
From that NGO, they asked why the wife of Vladimir Otašević, right before the RTV Podgorica Council meeting, at which the director of RTV Podgorica will be elected, would give up ownership in the company Montenegro Press Company doo, if there is no conflict of interest prohibited by Article 29 of the Decision on the Establishment of the Company with limited liability Local public broadcaster "Radio Television Podgorica.
"Mentioned Article 29 of the Decision prescribes that persons who are spouses, common-law partners and life partners of persons who, as owners of shares, shareholders, members of management bodies, members of supervisory bodies, employees or persons who are employed on another basis, persons under a contract and/or persons who have a legal interest in legal entities, who are engaged in the activity of providing AVM services, access services and use of video exchange platforms, distribution of linear AVM services, as well as production of audiovisual content, advertising or electronic communications'. In the Impressum of Portal PRESS it is clearly stated that this legal entity deals with video production and advertising (we attach the proof) because the e-mail addresses to which those interested in making video production and marketing can be contacted are clearly stated," it says in the announcement.
They said that this unequivocally proves that the company in which Otašević's wife had 90 percent ownership deals with the production of audio-visual content and advertising.
"Also, this company, which is the founder of the PRESS portal, is proven to be engaged in advertising and production of audio-video content, which is confirmed by the price list of services published during the local elections in Podgorica, Bar, Kolašin and Danilovgrad in 2022, as well as the price list for the parliamentary elections held in June in 2023. This company, whose 90 percent owner was until recently Vladimir Otašević's wife, charged 250 euros per day for the service of creating video material, while it charged 200 euros per day for publishing (on the portal). So, practically until yesterday, Otašević's wife was the owner of 90 percent of a company engaged in the production of audiovisual content and advertising. This is based on Article 29 of the Decision preventing Vladimir Otašević from being appointed as the acting director of RTV Podgorica as well as for the position of director for the full term. According to the information available from the PRESS Portal, Vladimir Otašević submitted falsified documents to the Council of RTV Podgorica during his appointment as acting director. According to the data available on the PRESS Portal, it is very likely that he did the same in the competition for the election of a full-time director, as indicated by the January 26 information published on the PRESS Portal, where his wife still figures as the owner of 90 percent of the company Montenegro Press Company doo. Accomplices in this process have so far been the president and members of the Council of RTV Podgorica who voted for Vladimir Otašević as the acting director and who will choose such a 'professional', who should defend and search for the truth, as director for the full term." it is stated.
Đurović said that he wanted, on behalf of the Media Center, to especially thank Vasilij Čarapić (PES), Mitro Šušić (ZBCG) and Jelena Borovinić Bojović (ZBCG) for "such a political process of taking over RTV Podgorica".
"The immediate professionalization of RTV Podgorica and the break with the unprofessional practice established by the DPS cannot happen if political goals are achieved through illegal actions and people are brought to responsible positions whose lack of integrity can only contribute to the further collapse of this local public media service, which is financed by the citizens of Podgorica with almost two million euros per year. On behalf of the Media Center, I would like to especially thank the Vice President of the Main Garad Luka Rakčević (URA) as well as the unknown officials of the Democratic Republic of Montenegro who participate in the coalition in power in Podgorica and who silently, like their coalition partners, observe illegal political operation of the takeover of the local public broadcaster. Now with the participation of all political parties in power and the support of GP URA, we have completed the political takeover of RTCG and Gradska RTV Podgorica, and the consequence of this process is that neither RTCG nor Gradska RTV Podgorica will criticize the work of the authorities for the sake of realizing the personal ambitions of illegally appointed director. These examples clearly show how much the current government in the Capital City and at the state level cares about the rule of law," the announcement concludes.
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