Due to a change in the member of the court panel, the trial of the defendants Dražen P. Vojvodić and Novica G. Đikanović, accused of the brutal murder of Vidak Vujović, began again today in the High Court in Podgorica.
The defendants stuck to their earlier defenses.
Vojvodic denied the allegations in the indictment, stating that he was on good terms with Vujovic and that he helped him financially.
"I absolutely never had any disagreements with the now deceased Vujović, nor do I have anything to do with this event that is being blamed on me, I never had any dealings with him. I knew the late Vujović quite well. We hung out, I lent him money," Vojvodic said in April.
"I found out about the death of Vujović from the portal. Before that, his sister called me and asked where he was. I said I don't know," said Vojvodić.
Đikanović repeated that on March 31, 2023, his friend, now accused Vojvodić, showed him the video of the murder when he came in front of his house and confided in him that he had killed Vujović. He said that he does not accept the allegations of the indictment according to which he killed Vujović together with Vojvodić.
The president of the panel, judge Veljko Radovanović, made the decision not to call the witnesses again, but only to read their statements. The court judged that the witnesses, even though the member of the panel has been replaced, do not need to be called again so that the new member of the panel can get acquainted with their statements directly at the main trial.
Lawyer Damir Lekić, Vojvodić's defense attorney, objected to this decision because he believes that the witnesses must be directly heard again in front of the new council member so that he has the opportunity to get to know the content of their testimony directly.
The indictment stated that on March 31, 03, in Šteke, Podgorica, the defendants killed Vidak Vujović in a treacherous and cruel manner, in a way that, according to a previous agreement, they lured the victim to an uninhabited part of the Šteke settlement, in an inaccessible place. So that the defendant Vojvodić Dražen, using their acquaintance from before, drove him to the scene in a "VW Golf V" vehicle, and when the victim got out of the vehicle, he fired at least four projectiles from a "CZ M2023" pistol in the same direction. of which he was hit by four projectiles. And because between the four projectiles fired, the injured Vujović Vidak was alive and told the defendant "don't", during which time he suffered severe suffering and severe pain, which the defendant Vojvodic did not do, but continued to fire projectiles at the injured party. During that time, the defendant Đikanović Novica was on the spot and observed everything, after which the defendant Vojvodić fired a projectile that caused fatal injuries to the victim, resulting in his death. After that, together with the defendant Đikanović, he poured gasoline and set fire to the lifeless body of the injured Vujović Vidak, and then they left the scene together. On April 57, 12, the defendant Đikanović Novica, in his family home, in Farmaci, Podgorica, kept seven pieces of pistol ammunition without the approval of the competent authority. The defendant Vojvodić committed the criminal offense of aggravated murder under Article 04 paragraph 2023 point I in connection with Article 144 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro in conjunction with the criminal offense of illegal possession of weapons and explosive substances under Article 23 paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro, and the defendant Đikanović the crime of aggravated murder from Article 403 paragraph 1 point 144 in connection with Article 1 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro and the criminal offense of illegal possession of weapons and explosive substances from Article 23 paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro. The next main hearing is scheduled for November 403, when the ballistic expert and the forensic genetics expert will be heard.
Lekić: The illegal practice continues
At the hearing of the main trial today, the president of the panel of judges, Veljko Radovanović, handed to lawyer Damir Lekić the decision of the session of the Supreme State Prosecutor's Office of Montenegro, which rejected the request for the exemption of the Supreme State Prosecutor as unfounded.
"Once again, the State Prosecutor's Office continues with its illegal practice, so until the day of the hearing of the main trial, it does not hand me a written copy of the decision, but delivers it to the court, which delivers the written copy to me immediately before the hearing of the main trial. It's illegal. In the decision, apart from my quotes regarding the submitted request for exemption and quotes regarding the statement regarding that request by the Supreme State Prosecutor of Montenegro, there are no reasons why my request was rejected as unfounded. In this case, too, the illegal practice of the state prosecutor's office continues because it is a typical short solution without any explanation regarding the submitted request and the reason for its rejection," said Lekić.
Expert hearing
Lawyer Aleksandra Rogošić, the defense attorney for the defendant Novica Đikanović, told "Vijesta" that at the next main trial, the representative of the commission of expert witnesses, Dr. Željko Golubović, will be heard in connection with the psychiatric findings of the expert examination of the defendant Đikanović.
The findings and opinion were made by medical experts, professor of neurology and forensic psychiatry Stanko Milić, PhD, specialist neuropsychiatrist, Željko Golubović, PhD, specialist psychiatrist, and assistant professor Helena Rosandić, PhD in psychology. In addition to them, Dr. Aleksandra Ražnatović, a psychiatrist, will also be heard regarding the findings for the injured party, the late Vidak Vujović, whether he suffered from mental pain.
Bonus video:
