Expert determines how much Bratić damaged the budget

An economic expert should determine by May whether and how much damage was caused to the state after former Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Vesna Bratić illegally dismissed over 140 directors of educational institutions.

This was said by Judge Nikola Bošković at yesterday's trial of Bratić following the state's lawsuit at the Basic Court in Podgorica.

Expert witness Srđan Pupovac will be engaged in this case.

The Protector of Property and Legal Interests filed a lawsuit against Bratić in February 2023, and the state is seeking compensation from her for damages measured in hundreds of thousands of euros.

The courts previously determined that Bratić had unlawfully dismissed the heads of educational institutions, because the dismissals were based on the claim that the directors had not formed school boards within the legal deadline, which, according to the law in force at the time, they could not do on their own, because the education department had to delegate its representatives.

At yesterday's hearing, case files from basic courts and bailiffs from Pljevlja, Kotor, Ulcinj, Bar, Berane, Kolašin, Bijelo Polje, Plav, Rožaje, Cetinje... were reviewed.

According to "Vijesti", in October last year, Bratić defended herself in court by saying that she had not seen the amendments to the General Law on Education before it was adopted in the Parliament. However, this is denied by the document she signed in early February 2021, when she gave her consent on behalf of the Government to the draft act of the then majority MPs.

According to the minutes from the hearing from the end of October, Bratić claims that she acted in accordance with her authority, and that the state, or rather its legal representative - the institution of the Protector of Property and Legal Interests, is to blame for the damage caused.

The former minister said at the time that before the proceedings were initiated, or during the court proceedings in which the legality of the disputed decisions was assessed, the Protector should have consulted with the Ministry she headed, with the aim of preparing a joint defense of the legality of those decisions.

"I also believe that the costs incurred in these lawsuits, in relation to which compensation for damages is now being sought from me, were incurred due to the actions of the Protector or his inaction, improper actions, failure to file complaints, which is what caused them. I believe that the lawsuit in question is the result of media pressure and politicization of my actions, as well as the Protector's efforts to remain in his position after the change of government, of which I was a minister," Bratić claimed. She then emphasized that, in her opinion, all the decisions on dismissals were "legal, but were not defended properly by the state representatives."

In October, a state representative asked Bratić whether she was aware of the amendments to the General Law on Education on the basis of which she made the controversial decisions, and the former minister claimed that her legal team was aware of this.

She also claimed that she had complete confidence in her legal team, that they interpreted the law in accordance with which she acted, and that she had no legal knowledge.

The Center for Civic Education (CCE) filed a criminal complaint with the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) more than two years ago against the former leadership of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, led by Bratić, for organized abuse of official position, in which the directors of over 220 educational institutions were illegally dismissed in 2021.

According to the latest responses from the institution headed by Vladimir Novović, the case against Bratić is still in the investigation phase.