The review of the indictment against Jelena Perović, former director of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (ASK), was postponed today at the Higher Court in Podgorica, Ivana Vukmirović, independent public relations advisor for that court, confirmed to "Vijesti".
After the Court of Appeals of Montenegro approved the request for the disqualification of Judge Zoran Radović, filed in December last year by lawyer Nikola Martinović, defense attorney of the defendant Perović, the case for the review of the indictment was assigned to the pre-trial panel of Judge Vesna Kovačević.
Vukmirović stated that Judge Kovačević had recused herself from the proceedings in this case. She added that the case of the indictment review was then assigned to Judge Nenad Vujanović, who also recused himself from the proceedings in this case.
The Higher Court told Vijesti that Judge Vesna Kovačević recused herself because she participated in extending the supervision measures for the defendant Perović. Judge Nenad Vujanović recused himself from the case because he worked with Jelena Perović at the Basic Court in Podgorica, they were colleagues and friends.
Perović is suspected of abuse of official position and forgery of official documents.
Attorney Nikola Martinović, defense attorney for Perović, at the indictment review hearing held on December 18, 2024, requested the disqualification of judge Zoran Radović, because he had previously decided on measures restricting the freedom of movement of the former director of ASK.
Martinović referred to the decision of the Appellate Court of Montenegro, which previously concluded that the judges who decided previously cannot decide in the indictment control procedure.
The Special State Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against Perović on November 28, suspecting her of abuse of office and forgery of official documents.
The indictment also includes former ASK assistant director Nina Paović. The SDT suspects that Perović committed multiple ongoing criminal offenses related to abuse of official position and forgery of official documents.
Prosecutors are charging Paović with two counts of aggravated abuse of official position and one count of abuse of official position.
The former director was under house arrest from mid-April until December 4th.
Her surveillance measures were extended - the obligation to periodically report to a certain state authority and the temporary confiscation of her travel document.
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