Today, the trial of Budimir Krstović and his daughter Marina continued in the High Court in Podgorica, accused of smuggling 1.206 kilograms of cocaine, which, according to the indictment, they acquired in Ecuador during July and August 2021 and then kept in a warehouse in to the Mojanovics.
The continuation of the trial is scheduled for November 17, when it is planned to hear two more witnesses, and then to give closing statements. The President of the Council of Judges, Vesna Kovačević, also set November 21 for giving closing remarks.
In the continuation of the evidentiary proceedings, the list of communications for both defendants was read today, as well as the email correspondence of Marina Krstović for the period from August 23 to 27, 2021. The report on secret surveillance measures (MTN) was also read as evidence. The defense pointed out that the defendants Krstović were not under secret surveillance measures, emphasized lawyer Stefan Jovanović, defense attorney of the defendant Marina Krstović.
"The telephone communication that the defendants had in the period from August 23 to 27, 2021, confirmed the defense of the defendants that they were not interested in the arrival of the ship in the Port of Bar and did not call anyone, but led their normal lives. Both the listing of communications and email communications Marine, it follows that they have nothing to do with the commission of a criminal offense. Nothing strange happened that would indicate that they are asking when the container will arrive or when the container with bananas and hidden drugs will leave," said lawyer Jovanović.
He added that it was a matter of extensive communication, but there is no information that they called anyone in the Port of Bar. He added that these are the pieces of evidence proposed by the court, and that the judge is forced to lead the investigation at the main trial.
"All the evidence confirms that the Krstovićs are innocent. It follows from the secret surveillance measures that the defendants were not even under them, but that they were some other persons. He was placed under the secret surveillance measures after the ship's arrival in the Port of Bar. And this tells us that the police prosecutor's office expected that the real owner would take over the cocaine in the Port of Bar. As it did not happen, the competent authorities, and since they received information from international foreign partners and services, and in order not to appear unknown, launched an investigation for those people for which they did not even determine the measures of secret surveillance. I remind you that from the submitted information it follows that the drugs were discovered while the ship was sailing, some time before it entered the Port of Bar. And that information did not in any case indicate that Krstović Budmir and Marina have connections with cocaine," pointed out lawyer Stefan Jovanović.
It was the first time they found themselves in this situation
Crime technician Slavoljub Popović testified today, and in response to questions from the defense, he said that he wore gloves when counting packages containing cocaine. The witness added that he took photos of drugs on the orders of colleagues from SPOBOK. He added that after they took out the packages of PVC packaging and arranged them on the floor of the warehouse, he took photos of the drugs.
"I also counted PVC packages, all of us, 50 times each... It was the first time we found ourselves in such a situation. Everything I did was stated in the official note and I stand by it," said witness Popović.
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