Trade Union of Montenegro's Public Broadcaster calls on SAI to launch a new audit: Serious concerns over spending and failure to act on previous recommendations

The Trade Union of the Public Broadcasting Service of Radio and Television of Montenegro has submitted a request to the Senate of the State Audit Institution, calling for the urgent launch of a new audit for 2026, citing serious concerns about the way taxpayers’ money is being spent and the management’s failure to act on earlier recommendations.

The union expresses suspicion that the failure to implement the SAI’s recommendations creates room for abuse of office by the Director General and part of the Council.

They also pointed out that it took the management four years to implement part of the recommendations, which they assess as a deliberate delay of oversight.

- Instead of concluding the supervision, it is necessary to open a new audit for 2026, which would also include segments that were not covered by the initial audit. We believe that in the four-year period since the audit was conducted, the audited entity deliberately postponed the implementation of the recommendations - the request addressed to the President of the SAI Senate, Siniša Čađenović, states.

They believe that the SAI’s recommendations could have been implemented already in the first cycle.

- This indicates the intention of those responsible in Montenegro's Public Broadcaster to act in this way (or rather - not to act) and raises suspicion that the money of the citizens of Montenegro, both then and now, has not been spent properly. Ultimately, if irregularities are identified, instead of terminating supervision, we expect those responsible to be prosecuted - the request states, signed by the President of the Executive Board of the Trade Union, Danijela Popović.

They add that, „thanks to“ the abandonment of further oversight, „the Radio Television of Motenegro management has been publicly creating the impression in recent days that the omitted items are insignificant“.

- Although they are likely the most important, the management is praising the overall situation in the institution. Implemented recommendations must not serve as justification for avoiding others. Surely even a single unimplemented recommendation should be enough to trigger the judicial system, regardless of how many have been fulfilled? Let alone several - the request states.

The trade union, as noted, assumes that unimplemented recommendations create opportunities for further unlawful actions and abuse of office by the Director General.

- As well as by certain members of the Council who may have approved, potentially, unlawful spending of taxpayers’ money. We recall numerous first-instance and final court rulings that testify to irregularities in that institution during that period - they said in the request to the SAI Senate.

In their view, the Public Broadcaster leadership avoided implementing part of the SAI recommendations knowing that there were no penalty provisions.

- And even for the implementation of some recommendations, it took as long as four years, which, as we have learned, is a rare example of delay more characteristic not of public spending units but of small political parties - they stated.

The union calls for an urgent investigation into whether the Radio Television of Montenegro holds commercial accounts where funds are deposited for interest and who benefits from that interest, and expects that, if irregularities are found, those responsible will be prosecuted by the competent prosecutor’s office.

- There are many unclear issues, so we kindly request a meeting in order to help clarify, through direct discussion, as much as possible about the unlawful operations of the Public Broadcaster in the previous period. We hope you will investigate whether this budget user holds multiple commercial accounts and to what extent this complies with the law for an institution of this type. Whether funds are even being deposited there for interest, and who receives any resulting profit: individuals, the state budget, or employees - the request states.

They also announced that they will seek a similar investigation through the Committee on Economy, Budget and Finance of the Parliament of Montenegro.