The trial of the defendant Duško Knežević, accused in the cases "Kaspija 1" and "Kaspija 2", began today in the High Court in Podgorica, which is being tried by judge Amir Đokaj.
In the cases "Kaspija 1" and "Kaspija 2", the accused are Duško Knežević and Đorđe M. Đurđić, who concluded a plea agreement earlier.
The indictment of the Special State Prosecutor's Office accuses Knežević of having committed the criminal acts of abuse of position in business operations carried out through incitement and money laundering, all in connection with the sale of the "Princess" hotel in Bar.
The defendant Duško Knežević gave a detailed defense.
"I do not admit to criminal acts. I did everything legally. I would like to repeat it. This is a political persecution by DPS and Milo Đukanović and his criminal octopus. This chase against me was led by Milivoje Katnić. I do not trust the court or the prosecution, because , unfortunately, the extended hand of the criminal octopus. You are keeping me in custody and portraying me as a serious criminal, and I did everything to bring in the biggest investors. I had a good relationship with the DPS, I have nothing to hide. There was a misunderstanding and after Milo Đukanović had an argument about 'nobody's house.' So I went to Milo Đukanović and talked about it. I was the first to come under fire on the front pages, then Sveto Marović, and then Ranko Krivokapić," Knežević began his defense.
He then described the meeting with Chief Special Prosecutor Milivoj Katnić at a reception at the American Embassy in Podgorica.
They agreed to meet and officially negotiate in the office near Katnić.
"Milivoje Katnić told me: 'Strange things are happening in your bank. Some people are doing money laundering. He said that it is money coming from Russia. They want to influence the elections in Montenegro'. I said that it is impossible He asked me to agree to the accusation that the drivers were "laundering money" for the needs of the Democratic Front (DF). I did not agree could falsely accuse the drivers who work for a salary of 500 euros. Shortly after that conversation, I went to the hospital and the drivers were arrested. It was news in the media as if they were Al Qaeda," Knežević said.
After that introductory part, he spoke about the allegations in the indictment regarding the sale of the "Princess" hotel, and about contacts with businessmen who took him to Azerbaijan and Dubai.
He then mentioned the role of Milo Đukanović and Bran Gvozdenović in all of this.
"I was contacted in 2012/2013 by Esad Puškar from Bosnia and Herzegovina. I met him during the war in the 90s. He asked me if I would agree to arrange a meeting with Ismail Hajdarev, Minister of Emergency Situations in the Government of Azerbaijan, to discuss He said that it would mean a lot to the minister to send a private plane for me to Podgorica. He flew to Baku I was well received by the minister. He showed me the resorts. I asked about it and realized that the entire wealth of Azerbaijan is divided into two families. One group is headed by the wife of the president of Azerbaijan, and she invested the money in 'Porto Novi'. The other group is the Vilan group. The minister told me that they want to buy a hotel in Montenegro and invest the money," Knežević pointed out.
He added that they started the story about the "Princess" hotel in Bar.
"I told the minister that I have a problem because the 'Princess' hotel is burdened with a mortgage from the 'Hypo alpe bank' in Vienna. We agreed that I should receive 15 million euros from the Gilan group, and that from 'Kaspia properties', and thus clear those 12 million euros They told me that they would not pay directly because they had an affair with the murder of a journalist in Cyprus. Then they took me to the bank's vault, where I saw pallets of cash. They said that they wanted to invest in 'Adriatic fair', 'Meljine' hospital, 'Mimozu' They said that they do not want to buy the 'Princess' hotel directly, but through 'Kaspja', because they are accused of a large number of illegal businesses and linked to the murder of a journalist in Cyprus. They said that I should personally get a loan of 15 million euros because I have a tax residence in Dubai until the end of 2018 and that I do not pay taxes and that I should use it to pay off the mortgage, and later to transfer the "Princess" hotel to "Kaspia". accepted and we entered the process of forming a new legal entity. They made a payment of eight million euros in cash... They said that they would need guarantees for the 'Princess' hotel, that it would be transferred after the mortgage was removed. They accepted draft guarantees. I suggested that they immediately take the 'Princess' hotel, and at the moment of removing the mortgage, that they register in the CRPS (Central Registry of the Commercial Court)," said Knežević.
He said that he then got in contact with Milo Đukanović and Bran Gvozdenović.
"From that moment, my hell of a life begins. Milo took Esad Puškar as his translator and advised him that he did not need the 'Princess' hotel because Bar is a port city. I have photos from those visits of Gvozdenović and Roćen to Kabala in Azerbaijan. Completely excluded me from contact with the Gilan group. I paid 200.000 dollars to Esad Puškar because he brought investors to Montenegro," said Duško Knežević in his defense.
He said that Hajdarev told him that he gave 800.000 euros to Milo Đukanović.
"Vlatko Rašović took that money and handed it to Vuksanović from Milo Đukanović's security. In the 'blue notebook' it was stated that 800.000 euros were given to Đukanović. It was torn up. And Milivoje Katnić was waving that 'blue notebook' on television. That's why are all nonsense that is written in the indictment. Katnić said that there was money laundering of two billion euros. We live between the two biggest drug clans in Montenegro," Knežević said.
Answering the questions of his defense attorneys, lawyer Andrijana Razić and lawyer Dražen Medojević, the defendant Duško Knežević said that this was organized by Žugić, Prva banka, the president of the Commercial Court, lawyers Zoran Milić, Esad Puškar...
"I told Migo Stijepović that if the pursuit of me does not stop, that I will start a total war against the DPS. I showed him the picture of the envelope. He told me that he cannot say anything to Milo because he is a dangerous man," he stated. in defense Knežević.
The indictment states that on May 20, 2015, Knežević deliberately persuaded Đurđić, the chief executive officer of "Atlas banka" AD Podgorica, to sign a guarantee and certify with an official seal the guarantee for "Kaspia Properties Holdings Limited" from Dubai, for 12,5 million euros.
It was stated that the principal is Knežević, and that the beneficiary is "Kaspia Properti", which guarantees that "Atlas banka" will pay this company a maximum of 12,5 million euros for the purchase of the "Princess" hotel.
The appellate court ruled that "Atlas banka", as the guarantor for the money that Knežević took, is obliged to pay the full amount plus default interest.
The court found that Duško Knežević received the amount of 14 million euros according to the sales contract dated January 2014, 12,5, of which eight million euros according to the signed confirmation of the money received and the customs declaration dated January 14, 1, as well as by transfer from the account in the amount of two million euros on March 2014, 5, for the purpose of payment of the shares of the "Princes" hotel, and the amount of two and a half million on March 2014, with the purpose of paying the second installment for the purchase of the "Princes" hotel shares, it was stated in the verdict.
In the "Kaspija 2" case, among other things, it is stated that in the period from September 2014 to December 2015, in Podgorica, he transferred money with the knowledge that it was obtained through criminal activity with the intention of concealing and falsely presenting the origin of the money, on a way that is previously intended to obtain illegal property benefits for himself and others on 14.01.2014. year, by falsely presenting the facts, he misled and led the responsible persons of the legal entity "Kaspia Property Holding Limited" from Dubai to conclude a sales contract with the same as the seller, which sells the shares of the legal entity Atlas Hotels Group AD, which owns the hotel "Princess". , for the amount of EUR 15.000.000, falsely representing that after payment of the purchase price, the shares will be handed over to the buyer in possession of the "Princess" hotel, handing over to them as a means of security the guarantee of Atlas banka AD Podgorica no. AB-1301/14 of 13.01.2014. year, which he knew would not be implemented, and whose validity period was extended on several occasions.
The buyer "Kaspia Property Holding Limited" from Dubai, on the basis of the aforementioned sales contract, paid a part of the purchase price in favor of the account of the defendant Knežević at Mashreq Bank, Dubai UAE, on March 5.3.2014, 2.000.000, in the amount of EUR 11.3.2014, and on March 2.400.000, 1.275.000, the amount of EUR XNUMX. From which sum, Knežević Duško transferred funds in the total amount of EUR XNUMX to his account at Atlas banka AD Podgorica on several occasions, so that further put the activities into legal streams.
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