The Agency for the Prevention of Corruption has found that the Danilovgrad Tourist Organization compromised public interest by unlawfully selling an official vehicle, which points to potential corruption.

At the time, the head of the Danilovgrad TO was Ivan Dragojevic.

ASK clarified that their actions stemmed from a report submitted on April 14, 2022, which alleged that the TO’s official car, a “Skoda Fabia,” was sold without a public auction, constituting an illegal sale.

“Following the process to ascertain the accuracy of the claims in the report received, the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption identified a threat to public interest, which suggests the presence of corruption as defined under Article 44, paragraph 2, in conjunction with Article 72 of the Law on the Prevention of Corruption in relation to the sale of an official vehicle owned by the Danilovgrad Tourist Organization,” stated the ASK opinion.

They detailed that after the report, they initiated an investigation, requested statements and documentation from the TO, which included a copy of the court expert’s evaluation, the policy for the “Skoda Fabia,” photographs of the vehicle, and the minutes from the vehicle condition assessment committee, along with details of the service contract between the TO and MP regarding compensation and proof of a €1,000 payment.

“According to statement No. 074-279/1 from December 15, 2022, the TO asserted that the vehicle needed to be scrapped due to its age (2002) and non-operational status, with repair deemed impossible. It was noted that the vehicle had been out of service for three years, prompting the initiation of the sale process. A court expert was consulted to provide insights into the vehicle’s condition and estimated value,” the explanation elaborates.

Furthermore, it is mentioned that the TO’s executive board was made aware of the court expert’s report and approved the commencement of the procedure during a session on April 21, 2022. This led to the formation of a commission tasked with assessing the vehicle’s condition.

“The statement concludes that the procedure was appropriately followed and that a public announcement was not required due to the vehicle’s assessed value, which was placed at €255 by the court expert. Upon reviewing the documentation, the Agency noted that the Contract between the MP and the TO mandates that the contractor (MP) is responsible for providing the TO with a ‘Ford Focus’ for continuous use, in exchange for the damaged vehicles (‘Škoda Fabia’ and ‘Golf 2’) valued at €600. The agreement also requires the contractor to compensate the TO with €1,000,” they clarified.

They highlighted that regulations governing the sale and lease of state-owned property explicitly state that such transactions must be conducted through public bidding or solicitation of bids.

“These regulations do not establish a minimum value for state property that would exempt it from the need for a public tender process… Consequently, while the Danilovgrad Tourist Office did convene a committee to assess the factual situation of the ‘Škoda’ brand, it failed to properly execute the complete process for selling the official vehicle, specifically the public tender as required by law. This behavior diverges from the principles governing the responsible management of public resources and incites suspicion regarding the jeopardization of public interest, thereby signaling potential corruption, which undermines the trust and integrity of the Danilovgrad Tourist Organization. As per legal definitions, integrity entails the lawful, independent, impartial, responsible, and transparent execution of duties by public officials and employees of governmental bodies, aimed at preserving the reputation of both individuals and entities, ensuring citizens’ trust in public functions, and eliminating any suspicion regarding possible corrupt activities. Compromising public interest suggests a breach of regulations, ethical standards, or the potential for such breaches that may cause threats to public health, safety, environmental impact, the violation of human rights, or financial damages to either the state or individuals, alongside actions aimed at concealing such breaches.

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