The EU expects that allegations of conflict of interest and rule violations in Braletić’s appointment process be thoroughly and transparently examined
We welcome the recent appointment of the Director of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption - the EU Delegation to Montenegro told the ETV Portal, while also stating that they expect the competent authorities to examine allegations of potential conflict of interest and breaches of rules in the procedure of her appointment.
As they emphasized, „it is up to the competent national authorities to examine and resolve these allegations in accordance with the applicable legal framework“.
- The European Union expects all such allegations to be considered thoroughly and transparently - the EU Delegation stated firmly.
They stressed that the appointment of a Director with a full mandate is „a long-awaited and important step in the context of Montenegro’s obligations under Chapter 23“.
- Ensuring the full functionality and independence of key anti-corruption institutions, including the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, remains essential for advancing reforms in the rule of law area. The European Union emphasizes the importance of the Agency’s role in preventing and combating corruption, as well as in strengthening public trust in institutions. The Agency is expected to operate according to the highest standards of transparency, accountability, and integrity - the EU Delegation stated.
Last week, the Agency’s Council elected Agency official Kristina Braletić as Director with a full mandate.
The session was marked by a series of scandals, as well as serious accusations made by Slavica Mirković against other members of the body. She claimed that the other Council members, except for her, voted for Braletić under pressure and also pointed to conflicts of interest involving two members.
The Agency’s Council has five members, and four votes are required to elect the Director.
Council members refused to sign a statement declaring that they were not in a conflict of interest.
Independent anti-corruption expert, Slovenian specialist Drago Kos, told the ETV Portal that after everything that happened at the Council session, he would withdraw from cooperation with the Agency.
- What happened is the worst image the Agency’s Council could present of itself - Kos said firmly, also reminding that he had repeatedly stated that Mladen Tomović cannot be a member of the Council.
And it is precisely Tomović’s vote in the case of Braletić’s appointment that is considered the most controversial. The two are friends, and he also acted as her lawyer in court proceedings she initiated against the Agency.
The ETV Portal reported a day before the Council session that she was the candidate whose appointment Tomović supported. At the time, he stated that he saw nothing problematic in voting for her, nor any conflict of interest or issue of impartiality, despite having represented her in proceedings before the Administrative Court against the Agency.
Tomović’s role in the Agency’s Council has been controversial since his appointment in July 2024, which Kos has warned about on multiple occasions. He is a lawyer for the state-owned company Montenegrin Electricity Transmission System and is pursuing a whistleblower from that company. On behalf of the company, he initiated proceedings before the Administrative Court against the Agency to revoke the whistleblower’s protection status - and succeeded. As a member and Vice-President of the Agency’s Council, in January last year, he won the case against the Agency and left the whistleblower from that company without protection.
Although such a case is unprecedented in democratic societies, as also noted by international anti-corruption expert Drago Kos, instead of raising the issue of the legitimacy of his continued membership in the Council, Tomović was „rewarded“ with appointment to a working group of the Ministry of Justice for drafting a law on whistleblower protection.
The EU Delegation did not comment on the question related to Tomović.