The budget inspection of the Ministry of Finance, after more than a decade since its establishment, recently started doing its work - legally, professionally and exclusively with the aim of protecting the money of all citizens, i.e. taxpayers. I believe that this is clear, first of all - to all members of the Government of Montenegro, whatever the results of the controls may be. I especially expect support from my colleagues who, by virtue of their public function, are responsible for the financial and economic sphere", replied the Minister of Finance Novica Vuković when asked by Vijesti how he was commenting on the fact that the Deputy Prime Minister Nik Đeljošaj announced that "the Albanian people in Montenegro might be ready to help to the arrested director of the Anti-Corruption Agency, Jelena Perovič, to return the money if she damaged the budget".
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"In the previous period, 11 years long, since the formation of the budget inspection, it is obvious that there was no will to use the mechanism that will additionally protect the budget of Montenegro from abuses. It is not good to relativize work in which there are numerous irregularities, and we, all representatives of the Government, are primarily obliged to protect the public interest, that is, the state budget", said Vuković to "Vijesta".
The Minister of Finance said that "no one should be above the law".
"It is not about private relationships where everyone can offer compensation for something, but about state money for which, it is not enough to just determine irregularities, but they must be fully investigated by the competent state authorities. This is a protection mechanism against possible abuses, regardless of the position one is in. We prosecute and will prosecute everything where we determine that there are elements of violation of the laws of our country and suspicion of misuse of public funds. How further processes will be conducted, such as hearings and the like, which, as you know, are outside the competence of the budget inspection and the Ministry of Finance, is not a question for us," specified the Minister of Finance.
Serious steps towards the full operationalization of the inspection
He pointed out that serious progress was made this year towards the operationalization of the centralized function of budget inspection, and that field inspections began in February, in accordance with the Inspection Plan for 2024.
"Also, in order to standardize the practice and achieve the principle of prevention and public inspection supervision, the minutes and other administrative acts of the budget inspection are published on the website of the Ministry of Finance, as well as the annual Inspection Supervision Plan, which is based on risk assessment. The budget inspection examines whether public funds are used legally and in accordance with the intended purpose. It forms one of the lines of protection of public assets, which stands after internal audit and external audit, with inspection and punitive powers," emphasizes Vuković.
According to him, the budget inspection at the request of the state prosecutor's office, the court and the administrative body responsible for police affairs provides assistance in financial investigations, reconnaissance, criminal and misdemeanor proceedings. "Laws, other regulations and general acts, the application of which is under the supervision of the budget inspection, are numerous and extensive. "The Budget Inspection carries out inspection supervision over the law on salaries of employees in the public sector, on the financing of local self-government, on the budget and fiscal responsibility, on accounting in the public sector," explained Vuković.
What did the inspectors find during the inspection of ASK
According to the annual work plan, the budget inspection has so far controlled the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Defense.
The findings for ASK were published on March 22.
At that time, they warned that during 2023, Perović wrote herself overtime and variables, for which she received almost 13.500 euros, which, they found from the Budget Inspection, was contrary to the Law on Salaries of Employees in the Public Sector.
According to the first findings, the director of the Agency worked as many as 310 hours of overtime last year, for which she signed an amount of EUR 5.212,10, and she was also on duty on holidays - May 22 and 23 and July 13 and 14 last year. for which she paid herself daily wages in the amount of 536,78 euros.
She collected an additional more than 8.700 euros for work in the Working Group for determining the list of public officials... The Budget Inspection forwarded the findings to the Special Prosecutor's Office. Perović was arrested on Wednesday by order of the SDT, and prosecutors suspect her of abusing her official position and illegally obtaining material benefits for herself and others in the amount of more than 60.000 euros in the period from August 2020 to February 2024.
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