Miloš Mašković, president of the European Union Councilors' Club in the Capital City Assembly, said that the refusal of Podgorica Mayor Saša Mujović to dismiss the director of RTV Podgorica, Vladimir Otašević, raises suspicions that in this case we are not only witnessing administrative passivity, but also possible political protection of the director of the Local Public Broadcaster, who, as the councilor pointed out, should, above all, be independent.
"After the State Audit Institution (DRI) previously identified serious irregularities in the work of RTV Podgorica, including illegal disposal of public funds, non-transparent financial operations and the absence of an internal control system, I requested from Mayor Saša Mujović the dismissal of the director of RTV Podgorica, Vladimir Otašević. Although the DRI's findings were more than sufficient to raise the issue of accountability, the mayor did not act on that request," said Mašković.
What the DRI started, adds the European Union councilor, is now additionally confirmed by the Internal Audit and Financial Risk Management Service of the Secretariat for Finance of the Capital City.
"In April of this year, a new report was submitted that documents in detail how RTV Podgorica continued its practice of gross violation of the law and ignoring financial procedures during 2024. Mayor Mujović was informed of the contents of this document back in April, but even then he did not take any action, nor did he inform the Capital City Assembly. This silence is a political choice, not a bureaucratic oversight," Mašković assessed.
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He pointed out that the internal audit report specifically emphasizes that public procurements at RTV Podgorica were carried out through oral agreements, without written requests, without documented procedures, and without the signature of the executive director on invoices.
"Contracts were concluded and implemented without control of execution, which represents a direct violation of legal obligations and the grossest possible disregard for the basic rules of public spending. In addition, job openings were conducted without decisions from the director and with advertising that lasted only three days, instead of the legal eight. Salaries were increased by incorrect entries of length of service, and a large number of temporary contracts were concluded, more than 230 of them, for jobs that were already systematized within the institution. This opened up space for covert and illegal employment," the European Union councilor points out.
Mašković adds that it is also concerning that the RTV Podgorica Council received compensation without an act establishing the base, while there is no record of the presence of employees.
"The decision on salaries did not receive the consent of the Government of Montenegro or the opinion of the Ministry of Finance, which is a direct violation of the law. This report represents formal confirmation that those responsible have been consciously ignoring legal obligations for a long period of time and spending public money as if it were their private property, and on the other hand, it is an additional basis for the dismissal of the director of RTV Podgorica, Vladimir Otašević, because it clearly confirms that the previous management of this institution was contrary to the law and public interest," concludes Mašković.
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