In less than two years, the Basic State Prosecutor's Office (ODT) would have to find out who set fire to the "Vijesti" vehicles, because in August 2021, those procedures will expire.
The prosecutor's office confirmed to "Vijesti" that they do not have much time left to find out who set fire to the newsroom's "Nissan", but neither did the series of "Vijesti" car fires in the summer of 2011.
The prosecutor's office adds that so far numerous expert reports, hearing witnesses, monitoring of communication listings, searches and secret surveillance measures have not resulted in the discovery of the perpetrators and those who ordered the crimes.
Only police officer Veseljko Vračar was sentenced to two months in prison and a fine of 2.683 euros for dereliction of duty, because he allowed the car to be set on fire in February 2014.
The higher court in Podgorica confirmed the verdict of judge Larisa Mijušković Stamatović, who convicted Vračar of abuse of official position, for which a prison sentence of six months to five years was threatened.
In the High Court, they claimed that the judge correctly assessed the guilt, but also reduced the sentence to the defendant due to his previous lack of conviction and the fact that he is the father of minor children.
At the end of the trial, the prosecution abandoned the criminal prosecution of the other accused police officer, Miloš Sekulić, due to a lack of evidence.
The judge, explaining the verdict, pointed out that it was established beyond dispute that the car was set on fire during Vračar's shift, as well as that the witness Milovan Đurišić confirmed the defense of Sekulić, that he handed Vračar his shift that evening.
The director of "Vijesti" at the time, Željko Ivanović, also said during the proceedings that the police used the last burning car as bait to uncover previous attacks on "Vijesti" property.
At the time, he said that this case also showed that there is no political will to resolve the numerous attacks on journalists and the property of the "Vijesti" newspaper.
The prosecution still does not know who carried out and ordered the bomb attack on the "Vijesti" newsroom almost six years ago.
The institution recently announced that they have formed a new case in which two witnesses have been heard so far.
"After the acquittal, on the occasion of the activation of an explosive device at the newsroom of 'Vijesti', a case was opened against an unknown perpetrator, for the criminal offense of causing general danger. The Prosecution heard two witnesses and gave an order to the police to continue working on the discovery of the perpetrator of this criminal act", replied the Basic State Prosecutor's Office.
The Prosecutor's Office still has a little more than four years to try to establish something new, because the statute of limitations awaits that case.
The Criminal Code states that the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution begins five years after the commission of a criminal offense for which a prison sentence of more than three years can be imposed, which is the case here, and certainly when double the time has passed - 10 years from the commission of the offense. This would mean that the absolute statute of limitations for the bombing certainly occurs in December 2023.
The bomb attack on the newsroom "Vijesti" took place on December 26, 2013.
Marko Šofranac and Nemanja Vukmirović from Podgorica, the only defendants, were legally acquitted of the charges in June 2016.
The Higher Court in Podgorica upheld the decision of Podgorica Basic Court judge Nenad Vujanović, who twice acquitted them of the charge of placing 300-400 grams of explosives under the office window of the then editor-in-chief of "Vijesti" Mihail Jovović.
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