Montenegro state rejects Prva banka lawsuit for 6 million euros

The Office of the Protector of Property-Legal Interests in Montenegro has responded to a lawsuit filed by Prva banka, seeking 6 million euros in material and non-material damages. The state argues that the bank has failed to prove illegal police conduct, the occurrence of actual damage, or a causal link between a February police action and alleged business losses.

Prva banka, whose largest shareholder is businessman Aco Đukanović, claims the police raid on February 27 at a Podgorica residence caused significant harm to its reputation. The bank cited the withdrawal of 8,475,000 euros in deposits as evidence of loss. However, the state contends that the withdrawal of deposits does not constitute a loss of bank assets, noting that “a deposit is a bank's obligation to a client, not its property.”

The state has requested the Basic Court in Podgorica to reject the claim as unfounded, stating that the legal requirements for state liability under the Law on Obligations have not been met.