Former Minister's Wife's Expenses Paid from Budget for Translation
Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Montenegro, Milutin Simović, stated before the High Court in Podgorica that he is ready to bear material and legal consequences for presenting his wife's stay in hotels in Rome and Bečići as official expenses and charging them to the state budget. At the same time, he rejected the allegations of the Special State Prosecutor's Office that he had illegally presented about 5,000 euros of private expenses as official from 2017 to 2020.
Former Minister’s Wife’s Expenses Paid from Budget for Translation Former Montenegrin Minister Milutin Simović is prepared to accept consequences for claiming his wife’s hotel stays as official expenses, though he disputes the total amount alleged by prosecutors. He explained that his wife accompanied him for translation purposes and that various meetings and discussions with local community and business representatives justified the expenses. The trial continues as the court evaluates the evidence presented.
- Former Minister Milutin Simović admits to charging his wife’s hotel stays as official expenses, totaling a few hundred euros.
- He claims his wife was present for translation purposes and disputes the Special State Prosecutor’s Office’s claim of roughly 5,000 euros in illicit private expenses.
- Simović detailed numerous meetings with local officials, businessmen, and farmers as justification for the expenses incurred in various hotels and restaurants.
- He suggested that a note on one of the disputed bills was added later and was not in his handwriting, which is typically Cyrillic.
- The trial is ongoing, with the court set to evaluate the evidence and defense arguments.
Write a comment