Jovan Vukotić from Kotor will remain in the Investigation Prison, the three-member panel of the High Court decided, stating that the appeal of Vukotić's defense attorneys was unfounded.
The team of lawyers for the alleged leader of the Skaljar criminal clan previously requested that the decision of the investigating judge Vladimir Novović be revoked, by which that judge enforced the detention decision made on February 8, 2019.
The panel presided over by judge Boris Savić found that their appeal was unfounded.
They reasoned that Novović acted correctly by leaving in force the decision on the detention of the suspect for the attempted murder of fellow citizens Miloš Radonjić and Vojin Stupar.
"From the case file, there is a well-founded suspicion that the defendants Vukotić Jovan, Dedović Igor and Šaković Milić on March 27, 2016, at around 20.30:XNUMX p.m. in the Rakite settlement in Kotor, by prior agreement and together, with premeditation, tried to take the lives of several people - injured Stupar Vojina and Radonjić Miloša"...
The claim that Vukotić is still reasonably suspect is based on expert testimony, evidence, Radonjić's testimony given on June 1, 2016 and Stupar's, which was heard six days later.
"It should be pointed out to the defense, which claims that the alibi of the defendant Vukotić has been proven, that the investigating judge values the evidence up to the level of reasonable doubt, taking into account the presumption of innocence. And whether the defendant has committed the criminal acts charged against him can only be determined by the trial panel with the application of the principle of adversary"...
They also state that a national and then an international warrant was issued for Vukotić, although the lawyers stated in the appeal that Vukotić never fled, but that he was in custody in Belgrade when the Montenegrin authorities filed a report against him for the attempted murder of two members of an opposing gang. clan.
Judge Savić also explains that detention is justified, because Vukotić can expect a long prison sentence in case of conviction: "Which fact certainly cannot leave him indifferent in his attitude towards the court, in terms of responding to summons or fleeing in case is found at liberty".
This is explained by the fact that Vukotić stayed in Turkey and North Macedonia, which indicates the danger of escaping...
Savić and judges Vesna Pean and Dragica Vuković assessed that there is a justified danger that Vukotić will continue to commit criminal acts by remaining at large.
"Contrary to the appellate allegations from the case file and all the circumstances of the specific case that the investigating judge also had in mind, it is undoubtedly concluded that detention at this stage of the procedure is the only measure that can achieve the purpose of the smooth conduct of the procedure," Savić concluded in the decision.
The higher state prosecutor's office suspects Vukotić of having tried to kill Radonjić and Stupar together with the recently murdered Dedović and Milić, Minjo Šaković.
On February 8, Vukotić was extradited from Belgrade to Montenegro.
For security reasons, he was extradited in strict secrecy
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