The Network for the Affirmation of the Non-Governmental Sector (MANS) has expressed its support for the authorities’ action leading to the arrest of Duško Golubović on charges of money laundering. They assert that this is a crucial step in uncovering the source of his wealth, which “has long raised serious questions regarding its legality.”

MANS highlights the importance of the investigation encompassing all financial dealings that resulted in a “sudden and significant increase in Golubović’s wealth,” particularly those that “involved his family members and could indicate links with state officials.”

“Among the properties acquired by the Golubović family is a 46-square-meter apartment purchased in cash in 2019, located next to the Podgorica temple. This property was bought by Duško Golubović’s wife, Danijela, from the family of Valentina Pavličić, who was then Montenegro’s representative at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and is currently the President of the Supreme Court. According to documents obtained by MANS, the apartment was purchased for 50,000 euros in cash,” noted the NGO.

They stress that it is vital for the Special State Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the source of the funds used to buy the property, and to ascertain whether this transaction is “suspected of being part of the money laundering that Duško Golubović is accused of.”

“The Pavličić family acquired this property through a compensation arrangement with the Podgorica-based company ‘Bemax,’ in which Valentina Pavličić’s husband transferred ownership of the offshore company ‘Blueray Limited,’ registered in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – a notorious tax haven – to that company. In exchange, the Pavličić family received the apartment from ‘Bemax,’ which was later sold to Danijela Golubović in 2019. MANS specifically noted that Valentina Pavličić failed to report this business relationship with ‘Bemax’ to the relevant state institutions, despite being legally obligated to do so as a public official,” they added in their statement.

MANS’s investigation revealed that over eight years, the property changed ownership six times “through various compensation schemes,” which “intensifies suspicion regarding the legality of this business chain and the true nature of the transaction itself.”

“As previously documented by MANS, the Golubović family has amassed a portfolio valued at no less than one million euros, including luxury apartments and high-end vehicles, yet there is no publicly available information to clarify the origins of these funds. When approached by MANS, Duško Golubović insisted that he acquired all properties legally, claiming they were the result of joint family investments. He even claimed to have gained part of his wealth from ‘mining bitcoins in Belgrade,’ without providing any evidence to back these assertions,” MANS reported.

In January of last year, the NGO submitted the comprehensive documentation it acquired during its investigation to the Special State Prosecutor’s Office, urging them to initiate a “thorough investigation into potential money laundering and other criminal activities.”

“To uphold the rule of law and enhance public trust in institutions, MANS urges the Special State Prosecutor’s Office to promptly investigate all suspicious financial transactions and possible abuses of power. The case of Duško Golubović must not be treated as an isolated incident, but rather as the commencement of an extensive crackdown on networks that have operated outside the law for years, with the active support of institutional frameworks,” MANS declared.

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