Centre for Civic Education (CCE), jointly with renowned Montenegrin judoka Srđan Mrvaljević, presented findings and supporting documentation revealing serious irregularities in the operations of the Judo Federation of Montenegro (JFM). These irregularities have already resulted in violations of children’s rights, numerous unlawful practices in the organisation of the European Judo Championships, and breaches of international rules binding on sports organisations.
Srđan Mrvaljević, an Olympian and winner of numerous European and World Championship medals, stated that the available documentation relating to the organisation of the European Judo Championships in Montenegro points to “the largest corruption scandal in the history of Montenegrin sport.” Through the Ministry of Sports, the Government of Montenegro allocated EUR 1.85 million to the Judo Federation for the organisation of the event, while substantial additional funding was secured from donors, primarily state-owned companies.
“The European Judo Union has a comprehensive handbook setting out the rules and standards that every host country is required to meet. These standards are demanding, but they are mandatory. Throughout my career, I have never seen an official document or invitation to a European Championship specifying any bank account other than that of the national judo federation,” Mrvaljević said. He explained that a significant share of the revenue generated by events of this kind comes from the accommodation of participants and delegations in the official hotels. Owing to the large number of guests, organisers are able to negotiate preferential rates, with the resulting margin being used to cover transport, catering, and other organisational costs, while any surplus should be directed towards the development of the sport. “In this case, however, the Judo Federation listed the bank account of the travel agency ‘Kongres Travel’, a private company, in its official documentation. I therefore ask a very simple question – who, then, has control over that money? We are talking about substantial amounts, and to me this is one of the most striking aspects of the entire case,” Mrvaljević stressed.
Mrvaljević also raised concerns regarding a possible conflict of interest in the awarding of contracts during the organisation of the Championships. “It is even more serious when a member of the Management Board participates in a decision to award a contract to a private company with which he is personally connected. I cannot understand how the organisation of such an event could be entrusted in this way to a private company, particularly when we are talking about an event that was financed to such a significant extent with public funds,” he said.
The reasonable suspicion of unlawful conduct is further substantiated by the contract concluded between the Judo Federation and Mnesport Ltd., which contains vague and contradictory provisions, fails to specify the obligations of the contracting parties or the amount of remuneration, and lacks essential contractual clarity. Although the agreement stipulates that the organisation of the competition would be entrusted “without remuneration,” it simultaneously provides for payments to the contractor. On that basis, a total of EUR 664,828.66 was ultimately paid “in accordance with the schedule of preparations for the competition and the outstanding obligations towards all those involved in and around the organisation of the competition.”
Mrvaljević also expressed doubts that such a model of organisation could have been established without a certain degree of political backing or protection, calling on the competent authorities to examine all aspects of the organisation and financing of the European Championships. “I do not believe that this way of operating could have existed without a certain level of political protection. I congratulate the new Minister of Sports and Youth, Mr Jojić, and call on him to carry out a comprehensive review of the entire process, demonstrate integrity, and remove this burden from the Ministry. It is essential to establish clearly how the event was organised, who made the decisions, and how the money was spent,” Mrvaljević concluded.
Dr Ivan Vukčević, Human Rights Programme Coordinator at the Centre for Civic Education (CCE), who holds a PhD in Law and a Master’s degree in Sports Management, stated: “We have filed a criminal complaint against the President of the Judo Federation, Jovica Rečević, Management Board member Željko Dragojević, and other unidentified persons on suspicion of embezzlement and fraud in the use of funds allocated by the Ministry of Sports. One of the central issues raised in our complaint concerns a conflict of interest, given that the Contract for the Provision of Technical Services for the Organisation of International Competitions was concluded between the Judo Federation and a company in which a member of the Federation’s Management Board has an ownership interest. In other words, that Management Board member participated in the Federation’s decision to conclude the disputed contract with a company to which he is directly connected through ownership.”
Vukčević added that the CCE had also submitted an initiative to the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (APC) requesting the determination of a conflict of interest. In addition, the CCE intends to submit further initiatives to the Budget Inspection and the Sports Inspection to examine the Federation’s conduct in relation to the organisation of the Championships.
“In a case involving the expenditure of such substantial public funds, the Judo Federation’s decision not to conduct public procurement procedures was also unlawful. Sports federations are subject to the Public Procurement Law whenever two conditions are met, both of which were fulfilled in the case of the Judo Federation and the organisation of the European Judo Championships: first, the organisation was established to meet needs in the public interest; and second, it is financed by more than 50% from the State Budget of Montenegro, the budgets of local self-government authorities, and/or other public revenues.”
Vukčević further stressed that the documentation concerning payments involving Mnesport Ltd. and the Judo Federation reveals numerous irregularities, citing several specific examples. He emphasised that the criminal complaint does not target the companies engaged during the Championships, since responsibility for the alleged criminal offences lies with the decision-makers within the Judo Federation of Montenegro and the responsible officials of the Ministry of Sports, who approved the Federation’s inadequate financial reports.
He also pointed out that Radovan Đurišić, a State Prosecutor in Bar, resigned from the Federation’s Supervisory Board after, as he himself stated, financial documentation had not been made available to him for review, leading him to conclude that his supervisory role had been rendered meaningless.
“The autonomy of sport is unquestionable when it comes to determining the rules of the game and matters involving a purely sporting interest. However, the autonomous legal order of sport is neither absolute nor immune from the legal system of Montenegro or from European Union law,” Vukčević explained. “We hope that the competent prosecution service will handle this case efficiently and with a full understanding of the significant financial and reputational damage caused to the State of Montenegro. It should also be noted that a number of state authorities and international sports organisations have already identified irregularities in the work of the Judo Federation of Montenegro. Finally, we believe that the prosecution should carefully consider all the evidence submitted with the criminal complaint and send a clear message that the State is capable of imposing appropriate sanctions on anyone who abuses the governance of sport for personal gain,” Vukčević concluded.
Also attending the press conference, on his own initiative, was Željko Dragojević, a member of the Management Board of the Judo Federation, who denied the existence of a conflict of interest in relation to the contract concluded with his company. However, he confirmed that he had personally drafted the contract, while maintaining that all funds allocated for the organisation of the European Judo Championships had been spent in full and that his company had generated no profit. According to his interpretation, the Judo Federation was under no obligation to conduct a public procurement procedure or seek competing offers when engaging companies, but was only required to submit financial reports to the Ministry of Sports. Although he did not provide complete answers to many of Mrvaljević’s questions, he invited both Mrvaljević and the CCE to discuss the matter publicly in a television programme.
The purpose of the press conference was to highlight unacceptable patterns of conduct and governance within the Judo Federation of Montenegro and to encourage the competent institutions to determine accountability promptly and effectively. The protection of children’s rights, the lawfulness of the operations of sports organisations, and Montenegro’s international reputation must not be matters of compromise, nor should the leadership of sports federations enjoy privileged treatment when it comes to the application of Montenegrin law and international standards.
Maja Marinović, Programme Associate