The Police Internal Control Department, even after almost three months since the brutal attack on Pobjeda journalist Ana Raičković and two members of her family, has not determined whether their colleague, police officer Srđan Korać, was present at the violence at the "Gurman" fast food restaurant in the Blok 5 neighborhood of Podgorica, and, if so, whether and what he did in accordance with his official authority to prevent the violence, Libertaspress writes.
They haven't done this for two months and three days, since Korac himself, testifying for the prosecution, admitted that he was at "Gurman" that night, but that he couldn't react because, as he said, he was in the restaurant's toilet.
"The Police Internal Control Department, within the framework of its legal powers, is conducting an internal control procedure in order to determine all relevant facts that are important for assessing the legality of the actions of police officers in connection with the verbal and physical attack on the journalist of the daily Pobjeda, Ana Raičković, in front of the Gurman restaurant in Podgorica, which occurred on November 10, 2024. You will be informed in due time about the outcome of the internal control procedure," the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) replied to Libertas on January 20.
Police officer Korac confirmed to Libertas yesterday that he was at "Gurman" on November 10th of last year, when controversial businessman Zoran-Ćoćo Bećirović, his son Luka and bodyguards, Mladen Mijatović and Ljubiša Dukić, attacked journalist Raičković, her son and fiancé.
However, he claims that he "neither saw nor heard the incident."
"I was in the toilet while everything was happening. All I saw was a crowd in front of 'Gurman', but I didn't react because the police were already there. I returned to my desk and waited for my colleague, who then took a statement from me as well," said Korac.
Referring to the allegations in the indictment against Bećirović, Mijatović and Dukić that inside "Gurman" Bećirović and his bodyguard began insulting the journalist, then physically attacking her fiancé and fighting with her child, Raičković's cries for someone to help her... Libertas asked police officer Korac how he had failed to hear any of that and how long he had been in the toilet.
"A few minutes," replied Korac.
The entire attack, which took place inside "Gurman", and then in the parking lot in front of the establishment, according to unofficial information from Libertas, lasted about 20 minutes.
While Libertas was asking him questions, Korac accused the media of targeting him, of falsely accusing him of witnessing the attack on a journalist in front of "Gurman", and of publishing unverified information...
He also said that he "wasn't there" when Libertas first contacted him on November 14th last year regarding then-unofficial information that he was at "Gurman" during the attack on the journalist.
At that time, the Police Directorate announced that they would "inform Libertas in a timely manner" about the outcome of the investigation into whether Korac was at "Gurman" on the night in question and whether and what he had done in accordance with police authority to protect the journalist and prevent the conflict.
The security institution has not made any further statements on the matter.
"If I am guilty, I am ready to answer to institutions, people and God. I gave a statement to Internal Control. There are cameras, you can see exactly when I entered the bar and when I left. I am very distinctive, they cannot mistake me for someone else," said Korac.
He suggested that the journalist watch the video surveillance footage, which, he said, confirmed his claims.
When asked by Libertas whether there were any recordings from inside the premises where the attack began, Korac said that there were none and that the video material was taken from cameras outside "Gurman".
"I wasn't even on duty at the time," Korac continued.
When asked by Libertas to explain whether this means he should not react if he sees someone committing a crime outside of his working hours, police officer Korac replied:
"In order to take any official action, I first have to identify myself. So, in order to stop a fight, I first have to say that I am a police officer. If I had seen an attack, I would have reacted."
Korac did not want to answer which police department he works for, stating only that he is an active police officer.
The Code of Police Ethics states that "a police officer is obliged, even when not on duty, to provide assistance on his own initiative to any person in danger, prevent or suppress actions that may disrupt public order and peace or endanger the life, integrity and property of the community and the order established by the Constitution."
In addition, the Code of Police Ethics states, "a police officer shall at all times preserve the reputation of the police service, his own reputation, respect good customs and follow ethical principles in the consistent enforcement of the law."
"Serving citizens also exposes one to danger to one's life," the code states.
The trial of the two Bećirovićs, Mijatović and Dukić, who are charged with violent behavior, is scheduled for Friday, January 31, at 11 a.m.
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