Judge of the Supreme Court of Montenegro, Radule Kojović, is paying only €75 a month for the 119m2 apartment, thanks to a loan he received from the Government. Official data show that judge Kojović already had an apartment in Malo Brdo settlement in Podgorica, while MANS investigation reveals his family is still registered at that address, so the question is who lives in the new apartment whose purchase was paid by citizens from the state budget.
Based on a housing loan granted to him by the Government, in 2010, Kojović bought a new four-bedroom apartment of 119 m2 in Stari Aerodrom settlement in Podgorica. Over a 20-year period, thanks to the favourable loan, Kojović will pay only €18,000 for an apartment that does not cost less than €100,000 in that part of Podgorica.
This is not the first housing loan family Kojović received from the Government. Namely, Pension and Disability Insurance Fund, where the judge’s wife Milena works, granted her a favourable loan in the amount of €15,000 back in 2006, out of which she is obliged to repay only €6,500. The repayment period is 20 years and the monthly instalment is €22.
Monthly instalments of 75 and 22 Euros for two apartments did not prevent Radule Kojović from buying a new luxury Škoda Superb already in 2014, worth €20 thousands. Subsequently, judge Kojović was the beneficiary of several cash loans he took under market terms, with shorter repayment periods, while annual income of around € 50,000 indicate that his family would have no problem repaying regular housing loan. Kojović family also currently owns a deposit of €100,000, acquired through the sale of a family home in Bijelo Polje, which was also owned by the family at the time of receiving the government loan.
Who lives in the apartment bought by the state?
Bearing in mind that the entire family Kojović is still registered at the same address, the question is who lives in four-bedroom apartment in Stari Aerodrom. Since he reported ownership of that apartment, judge Kojović no longer lists his son Mirko as a member of the household.
In case that one of his three children lived in the apartment, the Government would resolve housing issue for them, not for judge Kojović. On the other hand, there is an option that this apartment is being rented, on the basis of which the Kojović family earns additional income, which has not been reported to the Agency for Prevention of Corruption of Montenegro.
House in Bijelo Polje and € 100.000
When the housing loan was granted by the Government, judge Radule Kojović owned a 150 m2 house in Bijelo Polje in addition to one apartment. Judging by his property records, which he submits to the Agency for Prevention of Corruption, the size of the house at one point grew to over 300 m2. Kojović sold the house in his hometown in 2016 for €100,000, which has since been on his account as a deposit.
Publish all documentation regarding purchase of apartments
NGO MANS continues to urge the competent authorities to publish all relevant documentation on granting of loans to address the housing needs of officials under extremely favourable terms, which have been granted behind closed doors for years, all on the basis of the Regulation on the manner and criteria for solving the housing needs of officials.
However, after in August this year Montenegrin government announced a list of officials to whom it provided assistance while purchasing an apartment since 2016, there has been a controversy over the fact that housing loans have been obtained under extremely favourable conditions by those who already owned an apartment, or had previously given it to one of the family members, as well as their good income thanks to which they could very easily repay loans under market terms, like all citizens.
MANS
