Miloš Mašković, the president of the European Union Councilors’ Club in the Capital City Assembly, has called on the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office (VDT) to investigate the operations of City RTV. He also urged Mayor Saša Mujović and the President of the City RTV Council, Vesna Radulović, to pursue the dismissal of Vladimir Otašević, the director of the media outlet.

The State Audit Institution (SAI) reported earlier today that it issued a qualified opinion on the Annual Financial Report, with an adverse opinion on the operations of City RTV for 2024.

“The SAI’s report has revealed the realities regarding the Local Public Broadcaster RTV Podgorica and highlighted the reasons for its prolonged secrecy about operational data. A qualified opinion on the financial statement and a negative opinion on operational regularity represent the harshest critique a public entity can face. Everything I have been raising concerns about has been formally corroborated: City RTV has systematically and willfully breached laws, egregiously violating both internal and external financial regulations, all under the current management’s oversight. Alarmingly, the DRI found that the director requested personal funds through ‘advance payment,’ suggesting potential criminal misconduct far exceeding mere disciplinary issues,” Mašković stated in an announcement he shared on the social media platform X.

He added that among the various discrepancies highlighted by the auditors were maintaining dual and inaccurate balance sheets, with City RTV presenting inconsistent loss and capital figures in their reports, misleading tax and financial authorities.

“Particularly troubling is that the financial statements were neither approved by the Council nor submitted to the Tax Administration, breaching critical legal mandates. The SAI found that employees were hired irregularly, outside the prescribed system without public advertisement, utilizing service contracts for tasks that should be regular job responsibilities, all in contravention of Labor Law. Several unauthorized compensation payments were identified, alongside violations of duty separation principles in salary calculations and payments, indicating a significant risk of abuse,” Mašković elaborated.

He noted that regarding tax operations, the Company incorrectly claimed VAT deductions for purchasing vehicles and equipment not exclusively used for work, in violation of the Law on Value Added Tax.

“It was reported that the company improperly utilized profit tax deductions, including claims related to vehicle spare part purchases. Irregularities in public procurement and asset management were also recorded: acquisitions of mobile phones, gifts, and other items were made without proper authorizations and plans, while maintaining a Register of Immovable and Movable Property did not comply with the Law on State Property. Asset cards were absent, inventory records were incomplete, and the liabilities list was omitted from the report, indicating a fundamental lack of internal control,” said Mašković.

He emphasized, “Moreover, the SAI underlined that City RTV did not maintain separate accounting for public and commercial services, which is mandated by the Law on Audiovisual Media Services, thus questioning transparency regarding the utilization of city budget funds.”

“It is essential for the public to understand that the State Audit Institution has already forwarded a report to the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office, which further compels local government structures to act promptly. Therefore, I implore Mayor Saša Mujović and City RTV Council President Ms. Vesna Radulović to initiate the dismissal of Director Otašević. Continuing to tolerate this management would equate to complicity in concealing illegal activities. I also urge the Supreme State Prosecutor’s Office to urgently investigate the operations of City RTV, focusing on loans, service contracts, and potential misuse of budgetary funds,” Mašković asserted.

He concluded by affirming that City RTV is a public institution funded by all citizens of Podgorica and not a personal or political entity serving private agendas.

“It is crucial to establish both financial and criminal accountability for what the DRI has unequivocally marked as an instance of systemic and deliberate legal violations,” Mašković declared.

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