MANS Investigative Centre has discovered documentation that confirms that the company “Glosarij” overpaid for at least 30 thousand euros the apartment it bought in 2009 from the current Chief Special Prosecutor, Milivoje Katnić. Katnić never reported this deal to the competent institutions, and the data obtained by MANS show that he did not pay the income tax he made in that transaction.
Milivoje Katnić, Chief Special Prosecutor
MANS previously announced that in July 2009, Milivoje Katnić bought a 54m2 apartment in Podgorica’s settlement Novi grad in Vasa Raičkovića Street for 67,800 euros.
Only a few months after that, Katnić sold this apartment to the company “Glosarij” from Podgorica for 96,000 thousand euros.
However, there is no information about these transactions in the property statement of Milivoje Katnić, who was a judge of the Appellate Court at the time. Katnić signed an agreement on the sale of the apartment with the then owner of Glosarij, Vladimir Vujović.
Speaking in the show “Načisto” in early October, Katnić justified the increase in the value of the apartment of nearly 30 thousand euros, which took place in just a few months, by investing in reconstruction, emphasizing that if it is not worth that much today, then “it is something his close friend gave to him”.
That the disputed 30 thousand euros were actually given to Katnić is confirmed by the contract according to which the company “Glosarij” resold the apartment it had bought from him. Namely, in mid-2014, 60 thousand euros was paid into the account of this company for purchase of the apartment that once belonged to Milivoje Katnić. Vladimir Vujović bought the apartment, now as a natural person.
The earnings that Katnić made in this way represent a taxable income that had to be reported to the competent tax authority.
In response to the request for free access to information sent to it by MANS, the Revenue and Customs Administration explained that there was no information in their system that Milivoje Katnić had ever paid this tax.
The data obtained by the MANS Investigative Centre further discredit Milivoje Katnić and his ability to deal with high-level corruption and public officials who, like him, try to hide their property.
“The data we presented today show what inspires Milivoje Katnić not to prosecute high-ranking public officials, especially when it comes to cases of illicit enrichment and hiding of property.
Unfortunately, today, we have a situation where the Chief Special Prosecutor cannot or will not explain why a private company practically gave him thirty thousand euros. In any slightly developed country, this would imply automatic resignation of such prosecutor.
In a situation when the Chief Special Prosecutor himself violates the law and hides his property from the public and competent authorities, it is difficult to expect that we will get any results in fight against corruption, and that the property stolen from citizens would be returned to the state budget”, MANS warns.
MANS has previously accused Katnić of bias in conducting investigations that referred to the very top of the political elite, including the latest investigation on Pandora Papers, which mentions the names of the President Milo Đukanović and his son.
MANS announces that they are going to send an official initiative to the Agency for Prevention of Corruption next week since, according to them, this institution has not yet reacted ex officio to the first information about the deal between Katnić and the company Glosarij that was published more than a month ago.
Dejan Milovac
Investigative Centre
MANS
