ASK checks Božović: Transactions between institutions and NGO "Mašakarda" from Tivat are being investigated

The Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (ASK) has initiated the procedure for verifying the income and asset report of the director of the Tivat Cultural Center. Goran Božović as a public official, and as part of which transactions are also being investigated between institutions headed by Božović and the non-governmental association (NGO) "Maškarada" from Tivat, in whose closest leadership he has been since the association's founding ten years ago.

As part of this investigation, ASK, through a letter from Director Kristina Braletić, requested the Municipality of Tivat to provide it with all data on money transfers that the local government of Tivat made from its budget during 2023, 2024 and 2025 in favor of the NGO "Maškarada".

During those years, the Municipality gave several tens of thousands of euros to "Maškaradi", mostly for the organization of the International Summer Carnival in Tivat, the largest entertainment event in that city and organized by that NGO, but also smaller sums of money for some of the organization's publishing projects.

Since the beginning of the International Summer Carnival in Tivat, Božović has been the main manager of the event, which was supposed to be held for the sixth time this summer, but he canceled it, dissatisfied with the amount of money that the Municipality of Tivat allocated in its budget this year to support the organization of the carnival.

"Carnival is by far the most massive and largest event in the city, with the most participants and visitors. We have over 600 participants in the carnival parade, of which about 300 participants from 10 to 15 countries from abroad, from Brazil, the USA, Luxembourg, Germany, Greece, Italy, all the countries of the former Yugoslavia and so on. And we plan to continue in this quality direction as needed, if the conditions are created for it. Over 500 children from Tivat and other cities participate in the children's carnival parade. Our carnival is listed as one of the most attractive in the region, and it has also earned membership in the International Board of the Federation of European Carnival Cities, which is happening for the first time in the history of Montenegro. Thanks to the status of Carnival, the Municipality of Tivat is twinning this year with two cities from two countries, with Kavadarci from North Macedonia and with Petange from Luxembourg. Carnival has transcended the borders of Tivat and Montenegro, it is a serious brand, and the NGO Masquerade is one of the most serious ambassadors of Tivat and Montenegro, wherever it appears," said, among other things, Goran Bošović during a public debate on the draft budget of the Municipality of Tivat for 2026, demanding that at least 50.000 euros be allocated from the city budget for the organization of the 6th International Carnival this year.

This, as the NGO "Maškarada" later explained, would amount to about 45 percent of all estimated total costs for organizing this year's carnival, while another 30 percent of the necessary budget would be provided by "Maškarada" from the Tourist Organization and the Tivat Cultural Center.

The municipality, however, refused to do so, emphasizing that last year, the city of Tivat supported the organization of the 2025 carnival with a total of 70.000 euros through the budget funds of the Municipality, the local Tourist Organization, and the Tivat Cultural Center itself.

Since 2022, when he moved from the position of Vice President of the Municipality of Tivat to the position of Business Director of the municipal public institution Tivat Cultural Center (CZK), Božović has also supported the organization of the International Summer Carnival in Tivat from the CZK budget. Namely, according to the CZK's financial reports, this public institution allocated 15.500 euros for these purposes in 2023, 9.000 euros the following year, and last year the CZK gave 16.862 euros for the carnival last year.

Božović: There is nothing to hide

"Not a single cent has ever been paid into the account of the NGO 'Maškarada' Tivat by the Tivat Cultural Center," says Goran Božović.

He points out that the Center was the patron/sponsor of the International Carnival in accordance with the institution's annual work program and in accordance with the institution's decisions, directly covering certain costs of organizing the event.

"With luck, the Municipality of Tivat and the Tivat Tourist Organization should finance this event in full, considering its importance and benefits for the city."

"As for the initiation of the procedure for verifying my income and asset reports by the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption at this time and with a focus on the NGO 'Maškarada' Tivat, it is completely clear that this is an instructed procedure by certain political structures of the local Tivat government who are trying in various ways, creatively, but unsuccessfully, to discredit me personally, my work and the obvious success that bothers them and which is unattainable and incomprehensible to them. And this media writing now about the initiation of the verification procedure, and not about the results of the procedure, clearly confirms that. Everything is clear. And everything has been reported transparently, there is nothing to hide," Božović said.