Defendant Gregory Michael Ferraris from the Republic of South Africa, presenting his defense today in the High Court in Podgorica, said that the police inspectors in Kotor prepared for him a statement that he should repeat before the higher state prosecutor in Podgorica, that the murder of the owner was planned with the defendant Aleksandar Marović. of the "Old Fisherman" restaurant in Budva by Goran Đuričković, as well as a family of four from Kotor.
Ferraris stated before the panel presided over by judge Suzana Mugoša that everything stated in the indictment was not true.
"I have never met the head of the Montenegrin mafia. "I don't know at all who the head of the Montenegrin mafia is," Ferraris said when asked by lawyer Borivoj Borović.
"I don't feel guilty. Earlier, I gave a statement to the police in Kotor and to the higher state prosecutor in Podgorica, but they are not correct. The police threatened me that I had to sign such a statement in the police, because otherwise I would not leave Montenegro alive. I gave my statement to the police without the presence of an interpreter, because one of the inspectors knew English and I was forced to sign the statement. Another inspector was writing down the statement. That statement of mine that I gave to the police in Kotor was not true, because that was not the real reason for my coming to Montenegro. The police forced me to mention Aleksandar Marković, that he is the organizer of a criminal organization and forced me to come to Montenegro to commit a murder. The police arbitrarily added to my statement that I saw the Montenegrin mafia and a person whom I should recognize. This is generally speaking about the Montenegrin mafia. This is completely absurd because I have never killed anyone, nor planned, nor have I ever witnessed the existence of the Montenegrin mafia. During my police interrogation, at one point they gave me something to drink and afterwards I felt anxious and dizzy. It is completely illogical that Aleksandar Marković told me about some murders and that he gave me money for cars, motorbikes and apartments. It is completely absurd that Marković asked me to kill the owner of the "Old Fisherman" restaurant. I have never seen that restaurant or been physically there. The police showed me where the restaurant is on the Google map. "Aleksandar Marković did not know that I traveled to Ulcinj, Nikšić, Pljevlja and Podgorica, where I established all the contacts," Ferraris said.
He explained that he met Marković in March 2015 in Paris, when they tried to join the Foreign Legion. They failed. He because of his past problems with narcotics, and Marković because he graduated from a German military school. He added that while he was in Paris, he had a roommate Mark John, nicknamed "Midlist" on Facebook, whose body he had tattoos on and that's how he remembered him.
"When I mentioned his name to the police, those inspectors constructed a crazy idea, linking him to some murder. It was fabricated that Marković accused me. I am sorry that I caused problems for Marković because of this story, because he is a good friend of mine. The police took advantage of my weaknesses, saying that if I told the whole story, I could get a year in prison and then be deported. At the police station they made me draw some drawings that I didn't know what they meant. I didn't own any weapons, I didn't have to kill anyone myself, nor was Marković the organizer of all that. I thought that I would be released after my statement, and that Marković would get out of this situation. The police searched the apartment and did not find any weapons. Marković did not give me tools, nor documents, nor did he finance me, and he did not give me any orders. This statement today is true. I ask that the court let me defend myself from freedom, and to go to my home," Ferraris said.
He explained that Marković paid for his plane ticket to Belgrade, but that he came to Montenegro with his "contact person" from Belgrade. With that "contact person" he went by train to Montenegro, and then by car to Pljevlja, and in this city he came into contact with people.
"I was connected with people in Pljevlja by a friend from the Netherlands, while I was in London. I traveled from Pljevlja to Podgorica with a "contact person" from Belgrade, and then we each went our separate ways. Via Viber, I contacted Marković, who I asked to take me to the seashore in Budva. He placed me in an apartment near the Splendid Hotel. I stayed in that first apartment for a short time, because I changed several other apartments in Budva. During my stay, I met some Albanians from Ulcinj, because I was interested in the drug trade, but they were only interested in the "weed" trade. With a "contact person" from Belgrade, we rented a car and went to the military base, which I found out was in Nikšić. That "contact person" introduced me to other people in Nikšić, with whom he would deal with drug dealings. In Budva, I met people with whom I could do business, but I did not feel safe there. During my stay in Montenegro, I used various types of transport, but I would not go into details, because I have already caused a lot of problems for Marković. "I didn't tell Marković who I met in Montenegro," Ferraris said.
"The police presented me with a statement with a lot of details that I would need to give to the prosecutor," Ferraris said
On the day he was arrested, he stated that he had put German license plates on the BMW X5 he was driving from Jaz towards Tivat, and had PVC gloves on his hands. He explained that he wanted to remove the broken glass on that vehicle without taking them off his hands because he was "high". He added that Marković was in front of him, moving with a "Golf 5".
Answering the questions of Veljko Rutović, the special prosecutor, Ferraris said that when he gave his statement to the senior state prosecutor, he did not have pre-prepared answers to the prosecutor's questions.
"The police presented me with a statement with a lot of details that I would need to give to the prosecutor," Ferraris said.
The prosecutor objected to his defense yesterday, because the previous statement to the senior state prosecutor is full of details, and that with so many details he could not be instructed by the police, but only by someone who experienced it.
"The police in Kotor did not leave me a choice, they asked me to give a statement that they had already prepared and imposed, because I will not leave Montenegro alive. They placed several papers on me that I had to sign," said Ferraris in response to the questions of his defense attorney Borivoj Borović. The defendant added that the police did not inform him that he had the right to a lawyer and an interpreter for the English language.
"When I gave my statement to the police, I was under the influence of cocaine, but I didn't tell them that. They told me that if I don't make a statement like this before the prosecutor, I will never leave Montenegro.
The defense part is correct
Gregori Ferraris stated that the part of his statement from the investigation regarding his stay in Montenegro is correct, while the part of the statement that mentions the planning of murders in Montenegro is not correct.
He added that one inspector combined Montenegrin with English and spoke with him, while the other wrote down a statement, which they forced him to repeat to the prosecutor.
"The inspector told me the main details in English, and I added the secondary ones. "I don't want to say which people brought me to Montenegro, and those who took me to Nikšić," said Ferraris. His defense lawyer Borivoje Borović pointed out that his questioning in court yesterday was carried out in violation of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
"Ferraris was deceived because he was not allowed to have a confidential conversation with the defense attorney in the prosecutor's investigation," said the defense attorney.
They met at the competition for the Foreign Legion
Defendant Aleksandar Marković stated in his defense that he is not guilty and that the allegations in the indictment are not correct. He stated that he was aware that Gregory Ferrarsi came to Montenegro as a tourist.
"I met Ferraris in Paris because we competed together for the Foreign Legion. He was not accepted because of his security clearance and drugs, and I was not accepted because I attended a military school in Germany. After that, I stayed in contact with Ferraris, because I thought that according to the slogan "The Legion is our family", we are all friends. He expressed his desire to come to Montenegro via Facebook. I waited for him at the airport in Belgrade, and then we spent two days together. I then went to Užice by train, and he stayed. After a few days, he told me that he was in Podgorica, near a shopping mall. I assumed it was in front of "Delta". When we met, he said that he came for tourism and that he wanted to go to Budva. I took him to my apartment, and I continued to do my business. I worked for a German business partner, John Dreisler, looking for construction lots and renting a BMW X5 to tour the grounds. Ferraris called me and said he found another apartment, so I went and got the key. Since then, we have been parting ways in Budva. We contacted via viber, and sometimes we would have a drink. Business partner John Dreisler sent me a message on May 25 or 26, 2015 to tour the field. When I parked on the beach "Jaz" I saw that the rear left window was broken. I called Ferraris to help me by accompanying me to the rental car agency. When I met him, he was kind of excited and excited. I asked him what German plates would do for him, and he added that he would explain to me later. I was driving a Golf 5, and he was driving a BMW X 5 behind me. While we were traveling towards Kotor, he was stopped by the police. I stop and get out of my car to help him. I approached the policeman who had already stopped the Ferrari, and then I saw on the BMW that there were German plates, and I don't know what they were there for, while he had yellow-blue gloves on his hands, like those used in the household," said Marković. .
He added that, after he was released from the Kotor police, he went to look for Ferrari's rented apartment in Budva, and to bring him documents and take them to the Kotor police. While he was looking for an apartment and making inquiries, he was suddenly arrested from all sides by inspectors in Budva and despite security measures, he was taken to the Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica.
"Prosecutor Suzana Milić told me that I am suspected of preparing the murder of Goran Đuričković. I am in shock. I don't know what this is about. Since then, I have decided to defend myself by remaining silent, because they did not give me the opportunity to contact the defense attorney," said Marković.
When asked by the court, he said that he worked in the Army of Montenegro, and that he left the job on his own initiative on November 15, 2014, and that at that time he paid off all the equipment, including the Glock pistol.
Indictment
The indictment states that Michael Gregory Ferraris (25) from Johannesburg and Aleksandar B. Marković (27) from Podgorica, during 2015, belonged to a criminal organization with several other persons, which was formed by an unknown person from Kotor in early November 2014, with the aim of the execution of criminal offenses of drug smuggling, serious murders, all for the purpose of gaining profit from international smuggling of the narcotic drug cocaine, whose activities are planned for a long time on an international scale.
This organization had a plan to liquidate an unidentified family of four, which would involve two people, who were specially trained in America, one of whom is named John whose Facebook name is "Marc Middle East". The indictment says that after those murders, a "war" will begin with everyone who was involved in the theft of 200 kilograms of cocaine.
The indictment says that they planned "to start a war" with everyone involved in drug dealing in Montenegro. The defendant Marković had the role of recruiting new members of the criminal organization and engaging the perpetrators of these crimes, as well as providing them with accommodation and food, mobile phones, and vehicles during the murders and escapes after the murder.
In the indictment, it is written that he showed the immediate perpetrators the "targets" of people who were to be killed, and took money from the organizers to cover daily expenses. The role of Ferraris consisted in directly executing the murders, including the owner of the restaurant "The Old Fisherman" in Budva, Goran Đuričković, whom the criminal organization considered to have participated in illegal drug smuggling.
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