The Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (ASK) has determined that the Deputy Prime Minister for Education, Science and Relations with Religious Communities Budimir Aleksic and President of the Council of the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services (SAMU) Branko Bosković violated the Law on the Prevention of Corruption, because they did not avoid situations in which they found themselves in a conflict of interest.
The agency concluded that Aleksić violated the law at the end of May this year, when he voted on behalf of the government to adopt information on the basis of which a contract for the lease of conference rooms was later signed with the company "Srpska kuća" from Podgorica. The problem, according to ASK, is that the Deputy Prime Minister is one of the founders of that company and the owner of a 3,44 percent stake.
In his statements to the Agency, Aleksić claimed that he had not violated the law, as he had never received any financial benefit from “Srpska kuća” and, as he stated, had no right to participate in the profits or own the company’s real estate. He also wrote that he had paid one euro for his founding share, which is why he believes there is no real private interest.
The agency also determined that SAMU President Bošković reached that position by voting for his own election at that body's session in June 2021.
According to the minutes of the meeting, his vote was part of the majority required to be elected as the president of SAMU. During the proceedings, he claimed that there was no conflict of interest, because the law and the Council Statute stipulate that the president is elected from among the members and, as he interprets it, do not prohibit him from voting.
He also stated that the election of the president does not bring any additional financial benefit, because the compensation is the same for all members of the Council.
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