Montenegro’s Prime Minister, Milojko Spajić, has requested the Minister of Internal Affairs, Danilo Šaranović, to urgently initiate procedures for revoking the citizenship of Kosovar businessman Naser Ramaj, who is accused of tax evasion.

This news was confirmed to Radio Free Europe by the Government of Montenegro.

The former government, led by ex-Prime Minister Dritan Abazović, had granted Ramaj honorary citizenship in 2023, arguing that he was one of the investors in the “Porto Budva” complex, valued at 80 million euros.

The prosecution accuses him and Valentina Grubović of failing to report revenue from the sale of residential and commercial spaces within this complex while managing the company “Alart Centar Budva.”

Three days ago, the prosecution announced that the Basic Court in Kotor had confirmed the indictment.

“Granting citizenship to a person under investigation for tax evasion and financial fraud could damage Montenegro’s international reputation, especially in the eyes of European Union partners, which could negatively impact future investments and the country’s negotiating position in the European integration process,” Spajić emphasized in a letter addressed to the Minister of Police.

Honorary citizenship in Montenegro is granted exclusively based on proposals from high-ranking state officials.

In Ramaj’s case, the proposal was made in 2023 by then-Prime Minister Dritan Abazović.
Montenegro’s citizenship law stipulates that a person may acquire citizenship if their acceptance is of “special importance to the state, scientific, economic, cultural, sports, or other interests of Montenegro.”

For Ramaj, the justification was that his investments would contribute to job creation and promote the “economic, financial, and industrial development of Montenegro.”

The decision was accompanied by a positive opinion from the Ministry of Finance.

The entire procedure was completed within two months.

However, the current Prime Minister has expressed “serious doubts” about the legality of granting honorary citizenship, stressing that the positive opinion from the Ministry of Finance was not accompanied by a thorough analysis of Ramaj’s business activities in Montenegro.