Representatives of the State Audit Institution (SAI) and the Supreme State Prosecution (SSP) signed today a Protocol on co-operation, which aims, as it was announced, to contribute to identifying possible illegal actions and cases and their prompt processing.
Protocol was signed by the Supreme State Prosecutor Ivica Stankovic and President of the SAI Senate, Milan Dabovic.
Supreme State Prosecutor Ivica Stankovic said he was particularly encouraged by the fact that the Protocol was written in a spirit of exchange of positions and experiences of the three parties.
According to him, the representatives of the Council of Europe Office in Podgorica strongly supported signing of the Protocol, and have provided, as he said, constructive suggestions, "which have impacted the quality of the final content of this document".
Stankovic trusts that the signing of the Protocol is beneficial for at least two reasons.
"First, strengthening the cooperation between SAI and SSP delivers clear message to criminal structures that this alliance will use any available legal mechanism to detect illegal activities and bring any irresponsible subject to "knowing the rights", Stankovic said.
He said that the other reason was that the intensive support of the Council of Europe to this activity set the grounds for new forms of cooperation and professional development in that area.
President of the State Audit Institution Senate, Milan Dabovic, said that the signing of the Protocol on Co-operation laid the cornerstone of the bridge connecting this Institution with the SSP, stating that this bridge created a legal framework for further improvement of cooperation between these institutions.
„Today's signature is the form we have to fulfil. However, the essence is what is of higher importance. I hope that together with the principles of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit, we will meet the purpose of the Protocol, in order to improve the accountability and good governance of public funds, "said Dabovic.
He said that the SAI acted systematically, ensuring compliance with the Law of Budget and Fiscal Accountability by, as explained, scrutinizing financial reports and procedures related to the fiscal discipline of public funds users.
According to him, SAI will inform the State Prosecution in writing in the event of reasonable doubt that a criminal offense has been committed, and furnish it, as he stated, with all available data and evidence, as well as qualified (adverse) audit reports, based on the opinion of the relevant management.
"This practice is not a novelty in the system of supreme audit institutions. I strongly believe that by systematic actions of the State Audit Office and the repressive role of the SSP a significant effect can be achieved in terms of detection of illegal actions taken by the auditees with the purpose of criminal prosecution of perpetrators of criminal offences committed by officials and responsible persons of the audited entity," said Dabovic.
Head of Operations in the Council of Europe Programme Office in Podgorica, Angela Longo, said that the Protocol aims to strengthen ties and better link the individual competencies of the two institutions.
"This is, on one hand, the responsibility of the SAI for financial control, and on the other hand, the SSP's jurisdiction over criminal prosecution," Longo explained.
According to her, the Protocol is an additional tool that is aiming to contribute to establishing closer relationship between the two institutions in identifying possible illegal actions and their consequent prosecution "where, at the moment, these ties are not strong enough."
"Our goal is, once the application of this Protocol starts, to use it to ensure concrete procedures to be followed in the event of suspected criminal offense," explained Longo. A publicly available register managed by the Prosecutor's Office that will keep records on all cases initiated on the basis of the SAI reports and their respective outcomes shall be of particular importance for the general public. This way, everyone will have a direct insight in the results of this Protocol.
The signing of the Protocol is organised within the “Action against economic crime in Montenegro” which is being implemented in Montenegro as a part of the programme “Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Turkey” funded by the European Union and co-funded and and implemented by the Council of Europe.