The hearing for the review of the indictment, where the justification and legality of the indictment brought by the Special State Prosecutor's Office against the defendant Petar Lazović, the ANB official, Slobodan Kašćelan, Radoj Zvicer, the police officer Ljub Milović and the other defendants, was held today in the High Court in Podgorica. The non-trial panel is chaired by judge Zoran Radović.
The hearing ended after almost five hours, and the decision will be made within the legal deadline, Marija Raković, an independent consultant for public relations, told Vijestima.
At the beginning of January, the Special State Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against the National Security Agency officers Petar Lazović, Slobodan Kašćelan, Ljub Milović, Radoj Živković, Nikola Spasojević, Milan Vujotić, Duško Roganović, Radovan Mujović, Radovan Pantović and Nikša Perović.
In addition to Zvicer, Milović and Lazović, Radoje Živković, Nikola Spasojević, Slobodan Kašćelan, Milan Vujotić, Duško Roganović, Radovan Mujović, Radovan Pantović and Nikša Perović are on the indictment. According to the indictment, this criminal organization was formed in the second half of 2020 and, in addition to Montenegro, operated in South America, Africa, Europe and Australia. The defendants are charged with several serious crimes, such as serious murders, attempted murders, smuggling of drugs, weapons and cigarettes, as well as abuse of office.
Defense counsel for the defendants Vujotić, Zvicer and Duško Roganović, lawyer Miloš Vuksanović, proposed that the court issue a decision and suspend the criminal proceedings. Alternatively, he suggested that the court return the indictment to the Special State Prosecutor's Office for correction and addition. He pointed out that this, like the previous indictments, rely on Sky communication, which cannot be evidence in court.
"Sky communication is unverified information and evidence on which criminal proceedings cannot be conducted," lawyer Vuksanović said in court.
He added that it is only indisputable that reasonable suspicion is derived from legally invalid evidence.
The defense attorneys of all the defendants proposed to the court to suspend the criminal proceedings. They pointed out that SKY cannot be evidence because mass eavesdropping was carried out and it was not determined before the act itself who was included in the investigation. They added that even if everything was done, the CPC of Montenegro does not support SKY as evidence, especially for the reason that checking its credibility is impossible because it was not made by the Montenegrin investigative authorities.
The defense pointed out that the indictment does not provide any evidence. They emphasized that drugs and weapons are mentioned, that the indictment also contains certain photographs and that it specifies the quantities of drugs and types of weapons, but that there are no weapons, drugs, or phones that could be examined.
Defendant Petar Lazović, an ANB official, said that he felt convicted without a single piece of evidence. He pointed out that he did his job professionally and that he has proof of that. He said that he mostly arrested members of the Kavak clan, and the SDT accuses him of being a member of that criminal group.
"It seems today it is a crime to live honorably. I already feel convicted without a single proof. I did my job in accordance with the law, for which there are evidences and witnesses and elders. During my work and work, I participated the most in arresting kavchans, more than any other clan. Before the deprivation of liberty, I appeared at the Security Center", said the accused Lazović.
He added that on the day of his arrest, he brought all his personal documents with him in order to immediately hand them over to his colleagues, stressing that neither then nor now was there any basis for allegations of fear of escape.
"I found out about my arrest from media persecution. Before that, I wrote a letter to the authorities and SDT. I have been in pre-trial detention for eight months, I have had four thorough searches, without privileges. I respect order. It seems that living is an honorable crime", Lazović said in his address to the court and added: "Let all this serve for the honor of those who are behind this".
At the beginning of January, the Special State Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against the National Security Agency officers Petar Lazović, Slobodan Kašćelan, Ljub Milović, Radoj Živković, Nikola Spasojević, Milan Vujotić, Duško Roganović, Radovan Mujović, Radovan Pantović and Nikša Perović.
In addition to Zvicer, Milović and Lazović, Radoje Živković, Nikola Spasojević, Slobodan Kašćelan, Milan Vujotić, Duško Roganović, Radovan Mujović, Radovan Pantović and Nikša Perović are on the indictment. According to the indictment, this criminal organization was formed in the second half of 2020 and, in addition to Montenegro, operated in South America, Africa, Europe and Australia. The defendants are charged with several serious crimes, such as serious murders, attempted murders, smuggling of drugs, weapons and cigarettes, as well as abuse of office.
Most of the media houses, newspapers, portals, television, could not follow the hearing today. In court, they explained that there was no room in the large courtroom, which was already filled with relatives of the defendants.
Marija Raković, an independent consultant for public relations, explained that due to the space capacity in the courtroom, not all journalists could enter, but that by the decision of the president of the extrajudicial council, Judge Zoran Radović, the court interns were removed from the courtroom to allow the media to attend .
Arrested by the blacksmith clan
Defendant Petar Lazović requested that the court terminate his custody.
"I worked according to the law and the rules of the service, as my colleagues can testify. I did everything in order to prevent criminal acts, risking my own life. They accuse me of being a member of the Kavački clan, and I arrested them," said the accused Lazović. He asked the court to cancel his detention, so that he could defend himself against the accusations of the special prosecutor's office.
Lawyer Martinović: Petar Lazović is an outstanding ANB operative
Defendant Petar Lazović's lawyer, lawyer Nikola Martinović, told reporters that all the defense attorneys told the court today that the indictment does not have any evidence based on laws that could indicate that any of the defendants committed a criminal offense. He added that for the first time in eight months, the defense attorneys had the opportunity in court to say everything about the manipulations and pressures and possible abuses in this procedure.
"Petar Lazović is an exemplary citizen, an outstanding operative, a member of the ANB and a person who contributed to the Montenegrin society to reduce the crime rate. What the prosecution offered as evidence today was unanimously evaluated as evidence that cannot point to any guilt on the part of Petar Lazović ", said Martinović.
Lawyer Maja Zeković read the letter that Petar Lazović sent to the SDT before his arrest, because he knew what was in store for him.
"This indictment is a terrifying realization of the moment in which we live. From the very beginning, Petar Lazović cooperated with the authorities and was available. Even the guarantee, offered by the companies on the white list, was put in context against Petar Lazović", said Zeković and added.
"We have a frightening media and political presence. The prosecution was obliged to value all the evidence equally, both those that go in favor of Lazović and those that go against him," she said.
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