Podgorica, (MINA) - Former Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Vesna Bratic was arrested as part of the investigation by the Special State Prosecutor’s Office (SDT), and was ordered up to 72 hour detention.

Bratic was arrested in a separate investigation, unrelated to the Monday morning arrest of former Real Estate Administration director Blazo Saranovic.

Bratic was elected Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports in the Government of Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic.

During the first half of her mandate, she replaced almost all school principals in Montenegro.

According to her defense attorney, Bratic was detained due to flight risk and the possibility of influencing witnesses.

While the opposition led by the Democratic Party of Socialists claimed that the dismissals represented political revanchism, Bratic justified the moves as part of efforts to depoliticize the education system, claiming that some of the dismissed principals “abused educational institutions for political purposes”.

The opposition accused Bratic of appointing ideologically close personnel to replace the dismissed principals.