Attorney Veselin Radulović filed a criminal complaint with Montenegro’s Special State Prosecutor’s Office (SDT) on 26 October 2026, alleging unlawful engagement of 73 people and misuse of public funds at the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development during 2025.
The State Audit Institution (DRI) reported that 42 people were engaged under work contracts and 31 under consultancy service contracts. Gross payments totalled 453,720 euros, while net payments were 379,680 euros.
The audit found that many contracts did not specify particular tasks or results, instead covering the ministry’s regular activities. Radulović also noted that some contracts lasted more than a year and were extended through amendments, which he said pointed to deliberate circumvention of public-sector hiring procedures.
Radulović has previously filed similar complaints concerning the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Defence and CEDIS. He argued that the repeated pattern could indicate organised circumvention of employment rules for possible party hiring through contracts, which he linked to parliamentary elections scheduled for next year.
He urged the SDT to examine each contract, the work performed and the payments, and determine whether those who approved the engagements may bear criminal responsibility. Radulović said the public had a right to a clear answer and called for an urgent investigation.
