The data obtained by the MANS Investigative Centre show that the Chief Special Prosecutor, Milivoje Katnić, hid another real estate deal worth 30 thousand euros from the competent authorities.
Namely, in February 2010, Katnić sold a plot of 410 m2, which he owned until then in the settlement of Zabjelo in Podgorica. The contract was concluded in the amount of 30 thousand euros, but Katnić, the then judge of the Appellate Court, did not report that income to the competent authorities, which he was obliged to do according to the Law on Prevention of Conflict of Interest.
The law stipulated then, as it does today, that any increase in income and assets exceeding 5,000 euros must be reported to the competent authority, no later than 30 days after the change occurred.
According to the data from the cadastre, Katnić bought this land back in 2002, when he paid a little more than 12 thousand euros, which means that he later made a profit of close to 18 thousand euros.
Data previously obtained from the Revenue and Customs Administration relating to Katnić in 2010, show that there is no information that the Chief Special Prosecutor Katnić paid any income tax on this deal.
This case of hiding of earnings, as well as that of hiding of property and business with the company “Glosarij”, show fundamental disregard for the laws regulating the area of conflict of interest among public officials, and completely disqualify Katnić for any public office that requires an impartial fight against corruption.
Precisely because of this attitude of Katnić towards the legal obligation to report income and property timely and truthfully, so far, we have too often had the opportunity to hear “that there is no remote doubt” in integrity of some high public officials.
Regarding yesterday’s reaction of the Chief Special Prosecutor Katnić to the investigative story of MANS and the alleged attempt to discredit him, we are sorry that he did not use it to explain to the public why he did not report the deal with the company “Glosarij” to the competent authorities.
When it comes to the sale of the disputed apartment, Katnić failed to mention that he and “Glosarij”, as the seller and the buyer, registered in the cadastre only in 2013, so it is not clear why he waited almost four years to formalize that business.
The data we presented indisputably confirm that the Chief Special Prosecutor earned 30 thousand euros from the sale of the apartment to the company “Glosarij” and that he did not report that deal or the earned income where it was needed.
That is why yesterday MANS officially handed over the initiative for launching proceedings against the Chief Special Prosecutor Katnić to the Agency for Prevention of Corruption, which we will supplement with new data on the sale of land in Zabjelo and income of 30 thousand euros, which were also not reported.
Dejan Milovac
Investigative Centre
MANS
