Centre for Civic Education (CCE) has determined, based on data from the Agency for Prevention of Corruption (APC), that 14 out of 138 high-ranking officials—members of the Government, MPs and mayors – accounting for app. 10%, have registered firearms, total of 21 firearms (pistols and rifles), which some acquired through purchase and others through inheritance or gifts. The largest number of armed individuals is among MPs (seven), followed by mayors (five) and ministers (two). The CCE has no information on whether any public officials have returned unregistered firearms as part of the Ministry of Interior and Police Administration’s campaign encouraging citizens to surrender unregistered weapons.
Regarding the executive branch, firearms are owned by Vladimir Joković (SNP), Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management, who reported an inherited Beretta pistol from 1975, and Ernad Suljević (BS), Minister of Regional-Investment Development and Cooperation with NGOs, who also reported an inherited CZ 27 pistol, caliber 7.65 mm, from 1980.
At the local level, the mayors of five municipalities – Bijelo Polje, Kolašin, Plužine, and Petnjica – have registered firearms, predominantly acquired through purchase. Slobodan Delić (SNP), Mayor of Plužine, owns a carbine from 1985 obtained as a gift, while Samir Agović (DPS), Mayor of Petnjica, purchased a CZ M70 pistol from 1997. Petko Bakić (Democrats), Mayor of Kolašin, purchased a Zastava CZ 999 pistol and a Zastava Arms firearm of unknown caliber, presumed to be a rifle. The mayors with the largest number of firearms registered are Jugoslav Jakić (DPS), Mayor of Šavnik, and Petar Smolović (DPS), Mayor of Bijelo Polje. Jakić inherited a semi-automatic Zastava pistol from 1988 and a Zastava Arms rifle from the same year. He also purchased a semi-automatic Česka Zbrojovka pistol from 1988 and a MAUSER 8MM hunting rifle from 1945. Smolović owns two pistols, a Zastava CZ999 Luger 9mm from 2015 and a Glock 43 9mm from 2016, as well as a Franchi Affinity 12 GA X 3″ hunting rifle from 2019, all purchased.
The largest number of armed MPs comes from PES: Gordan Stojović, Miodrag Laković and Seid Hadžić, all of whom acquired their weapons through purchase. Stojović purchased a semi-automatic weapon, specifically a hunting carbine – Benelli Argo e 30-06 sprg from 2021, along with a Tanfoglio Force ProF 40 SV pistol from the same year. Laković bought a Glock 19, caliber 9MM, from 2015, while Hadžić purchased a Beretta PX4 Storm, also caliber 9MM, from 2004.
Next are the parliamentary groups of DPS and ZBCG – NSD, with two armed MPs each. Nikola Milović (DPS) purchased a Taurus Revolver from 2005, while MP Aleksandra Vuković Kuč (DPS), whose husband is listed as the firearm’s registered owner, which is important to note, possesses an inherited Zastava Arms firearm of unknown caliber, from 1992. Dejan Đurović (NSD) owns a Zastava CZ 88 pistol, caliber 9mm, acquired from 1991 through purchase, while Velimir Đoković (NSD) inherited a Zastava M70 pistol of the same make.
The CCE calls on all public officials to take a proactive approach and lead by example in encouraging citizens to disarm and change some harmful practices regarding the handling of firearms, especially in light of the tragic events we have witnessed in Montenegro.
Nikola Mirković, Programme Associate
IMPORTANT CORRECTION: During the collection and processing of data from the APC website, an error occurred regarding the asset declaration of MP Aleksandra Vuković Kuč. Her data was mistakenly conflated with that of another official with the same first name and a shared last name—Aleksandra Kuč. We hereby extend our apologies to MP Vuković Kuč for this mistake. Specifically, the information about registered firearm ownership under the name of the official’s spouse pertains to the former Director-General at the Ministry of Education, Aleksandra Kuč, and not to MP Aleksandra Vuković Kuč.