Robert Banuši, an emigrant from Kosovo residing in the Konik settlement in Podgorica, accused the theft inspector in the Podgorica police, Elvira Tošić, of fraudulently extorting a confession from him that he robbed the car of journalist Darko Ivanović a month ago.
The editor of the show "Robin Hood", through his source at the Institute for the Execution of Criminal Sanctions (ZIKS) in Spuz, got in touch with Banuši, who is serving a six-month prison sentence there for robbery.
In last night's show on RTCG, Ivanovic published a recording of the conversation with Banuši and his letter, with signature and fingerprint, in which the convict asks for help.
"I found out from the newspaper that I broke into and robbed the car of a man named Darko Ivanović. I want to say that I did not do it and that I have nothing to do with it. An inspector named Evir Tošić, I know him from Konik because I am also from Konik, took me to the MUP via Morača and made me sign a statement, which I did not read. He also gave me five euros for a hamburger and said that I won't have any problems with the court, because of this statement I signed," he wrote in a letter to Banuša.
The information about Banuši's arrest was first published by RTCG on December 18, 2013, after which this information was unofficially confirmed by the police to the "Vijesti" journalist on the same day.
The police, however, never made an official announcement about the case.
The Police Administration informed Darko Ivanović that the investigation into the break-in of his car is ongoing and that the entire case has been submitted to the state prosecutor.
"According to the same information, the prosecutor will decide on the qualification of the offense only when the findings from the Forensic Center arrive, in which, in addition to the screwdriver, there are other exempted items," the UP pointed out at the time.
The Police Directorate informed Darko Ivanovic that the investigation into the break-in of his car is ongoing and that the complete case has been submitted to the state prosecutor.
"In connection with the cited allegations relating to the actions of police officers of the Podgorica Security Center when collecting information from the RB regarding the event in question, we inform you that the cited statements are incorrect, and that the information was collected from the RB in a legal manner in accordance with Article 259 of the current of the Criminal Procedure Code," reads the police response, which Ivanovic read on the show last night.
It is indicative that Banuša, who has dozens of thefts behind him, did not take anything from the journalist's car, although there were several valuable things in Ivanović's car, such as an expensive camera.
Ivanovic then announced that he believed that the burglars were sent to steal confidential documents related to economic crime, dubious privatizations and numerous irregularities in the healthcare system, which he has been dealing with as a journalist lately. After that incident, Ivanovic spoke with the Minister of the Interior, Raško Konjević, and the Chief of Police, Slavko Stojanović, from whom he asked for an assessment of his security.
In the meantime, an unknown person threatened Darko Ivanovic's mother over the phone. The police have not yet found the person responsible for the threats.
Banuši: I also told the prosecutor that they gave me money
Ivanovic spoke with the accused Banuši on the phone, while the latter was in Spuška prison. "Vijesti" reports their conversation, which was overheard last night on the "Robin Hood" show:
Bob: Good evening sir, I am Robert Banushi.
Darko: Tell me, Robert, you know what happened? You're accused of hitting my car, I think it was the seventeenth, I don't know which, last month.
Bob: On the eighteenth.
Darko: On the eighteenth... What actually happened, tell me?
Bob: The inspectors came to my house, they told me - you have to come to the MUP, to give a signature, I went there and they gave me five euros and more money for a hamburger, the inspector took me to another room, he gave me money, I put my finger on that statement, you know?
Darko: What statement, what?
Bob: I gave the print.
Darko: Imprint on what?
Bob: To that statement, but I neither saw that statement, nor read it, nor anything, you know? They told me nothing will be terrible, nothing was taken from this car, nothing was stolen, I have no idea what car or anything, I don't know what you understand this from? Neither the guilty nor the debtor took it from me, you know?
Darko: And tell me, who was the inspector?
Bob: Elvir Tošić.
Darko: Elvir Tosic?
Bob: Yes, Elvir Tošić
Darko: Tošić, yes, tell me...
Bob: He has known me for five years, he has known me for four.
Darko: How much does he know you?
Bob: He has known me for five, four years.
Darko: Oh, and tell me, do you know him? How does everything look?
Bob: I know, I know that inspector, I all...
Darko: You know that I'm a journalist, and that I've been threatened and... you don't know anything about that, right?
Bob: Nothing, for God's sake.
Darko: And tell me something, that print they asked you to give, what did you give it on?
Bob: On the declaration, that declaration was already finished and everything, only my name and surname, date of birth were missing, from mother and father that name and surname, and then I gave a print, I gave it myself, then they gave me five euros, and more for a hamburger, you know.
Darko: I understand, but tell me, where did you leave the print? On paper, or..?
Bob: To the statement.
Darko: Aha, aha, so you didn't sign, you made a fingerprint, right?
Bob: Yes, yes, I just put the print.
Darko: Yeah, well, tell me...
Bob: If you can help me with something...
Darko: I will definitely help you, because it is related to me, and tell me something...
Bob: I said the same thing to the judge.
Darko: And just tell me, is that an investigating judge or an inspector? That is, the prosecutor?
Bob: Prosecutor, prosecutor.
Darko: So, at the prosecutor's office?
Bob: I see.
Darko: Yeah, okay, okay. When was that? When did you make that statement? When did you tell her you were set up?
Bob: They set it up for me on the eighteenth.
Darko: A, so the day after, ok. They just picked you up.. And where did they give you money?
Bob: In the MUP, in another room, the inspector slipped me out of this room, took me to another room and gave me money.
Darko: Okay, I understand, and when you went to the prosecutor, did the prosecutor hear your statement? Did he write it down? What did he tell you?
Bob: Yes, yes, yes, yes. He wrote down everything, the statement. What I was talking about, he is here, on the computer everything...
Darko: And to the computer, aha, aha. And you said there that the inspector gave you a hamburger and five euros?
Bob: Skin, skin, skin, skin
Darko: And you have nothing to do with it?
Bob: I don't care, for God's sake, I can swear to you wherever I go.
Darko: You would testify this to me anytime, wouldn't you?
Bob: Anytime bro.
Darko: Okay, thank you very much, you and I are in touch, and I will help you, definitely, as much as I can.
Bob: All right, thank you sir.
Darko: Thank you.
For almost a month, the prosecution has not received an answer from the Forensic Center as to whether there are prints and DNA on the screwdriver, which was found stuck in the seat of Ivanović's car.
The primary state prosecutor in Podgorica, Ljiljana Klikovac, informed Ivanović that during the investigation on December 17 last year, prints were found on the door of his vehicle.
"The police, in accordance with their powers, determined that the fingerprint belongs to a person who is an employee of the insurance company. Since a screwdriver was also found among the material traces in the same vehicle, and it is suspected that it was used by the perpetrator of the crime, the prosecutor submitted this item with an order for expert examination to the Danilovgrad Forensic Center for DNA analysis. Due to the urgency of the prosecution's action, the Forensic Center informed us that the expert examination has not been completed", Klikovac wrote in the answer, which Ivanovic read on the show last night.
Milačić: Tošić may be waiting for another award
Inspector Tošić laughed when the "Vijesti" journalist called him for a statement and said that he would not comment on Banuši's accusations.
“I'm in business right now, I don't think you need to talk about it. Sir, it's pleasant, so we'll see each other another time", said Tošić.
In mid-2012, inspectors from the Department for Internal Control of the Police checked whether Tošić participated in the attack on journalist Marko Milačić.
Milacic reported to the police that while he was walking in the procession of the protest rally on May 5 of that year, someone attacked him and that he suspected it was an inspector in civilian clothes.
According to "Vijesti" unofficial information at the time, the Internal Control suspected Tošić for that incident. Milačić said yesterday that the Internal Control, allegedly, then sent a request to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Tošić.
"Despite that, Tošić was not disciplined, but was awarded that year as the best police officer. I would not be surprised if, after this case, Tošić receives another award, but this time from a higher authority from the Government of Montenegro. It is obvious, if it is established that he framed Banušija, that Tošić, among others, is in charge of doing dirty work to the detriment of journalists. In essence, he is the least important, because direct responsibility lies in the offices of his superiors in the Police Directorate, headed by director Slavko Stojanović. They certainly did not make that decision by themselves, but on the orders of the people who decide in this country," Milačić told "Vijesta" yesterday.
Bonus video:
