The trial of the defendants for the murder of Miodrag Kruščić and the wounding of Olivera Lakić has been postponed.
The trial is scheduled to continue on February 10.
The accused Mario Milošević requested the disqualification of the presiding judge of the panel, Judge Igor Đuričković.
The court will deliver the case files to the President of the Higher Court in Podgorica, Zoran Radović, who will decide on the request for disqualification.
Defendant Mario Milošević, in his address to the president of the special chamber, Judge Igor Đuričkovic, stated today that in another case, where he was charged with the murder of Radomir Đuričković, Judge Igor Đuričković himself requested disqualification for personal reasons.
Milošević stated that he did not see why the same reasons did not apply today.
Judge Đuričković explained that he had then sought exemption from the proceedings because all the Đuričkovićs were from the same place. The judge said that he had previously met the now deceased Đuričković at one of the condolences, because they are all related by kinship.
He believes that no one with the last name Đuričković, Milošević, Vujačić or Mašanović should be tried for this crime. The judge then read in detail the letter he had sent to the president of the court at the time and stated that he had expected such a request in these proceedings as well.
"I am being tried before this court before the panel of Judge Radovanović in the proceedings regarding the murder of Radomir Đuričković. I received confirmation that you had previously recused yourself from that case for personal reasons. I am requesting your recuse from this case, because you recused yourself from that case," the accused Milošević told Judge Igor Đuričković.
"That's right. I was prepared for what you're going to say today. I didn't recuse myself then for personal reasons. I recused myself because we're all Đuričkovićs from the same place. In my opinion, this case should be judged by someone else, someone whose last name is not Đuričković, Mašanović, Vujačić, Milošević... I didn't know him (the late Radomir Đuričković) and if we ever met, it was for five minutes during family gatherings. You know what kind of gatherings they are - funerals and the like," Judge Đuričković explained to the accused Milošević.
The accused Milošević then told the judge that he had nothing personal against him, but that he had nothing to do with that criminal act, the murder of Radomir Đuričković.
"I have nothing to do with that crime. This is the first time I've seen you in court. I have nothing personal against you. Since all this has been happening to me and I'm being tried for crimes I have nothing to do with, I have to be careful. Maybe you gave me a break there, so you're waiting for me here," the accused Milošević told the judge in his free statement.
Defendant Goran Rakočević told Judge Đuričković that he was also on trial in a case where the Đuričkovićs were injured parties. The judge said that this was not a serious crime of murder, but that some vehicles were involved.
"Can we have someone who has never tried any of us as our president of the council? We give our word that not a single hearing in this case will be postponed," said the accused Rakočević.
Milan Vujotić, former policeman Darko Lalović, Filip Knežević, Mario Milošević, Goran Rakočević, Veselin Bubanja, Filip Bešović, Luka Bulatović, Dejan Vukašinović, Branislav Karadžić, Goran Vukčević, Mijajlo Stojanović, Aleksandar Ljumović and Sanja Božović are included in the indictment.
They are also charged with smuggling 554 kilograms of marijuana from Albania to Montenegro on January 26, 2021.
"The Council of the High Court in Podgorica, by decision Kvso no. 39/23, dated July 31 this year, confirmed the indictment, Kt-S no. 265/20, dated June 20 this year, which the Special State Prosecutor's Office brought against 14 accused persons: MV, GR, FB, FK, SB, LB, DV, DL, BK, MM, MS, A.Lj and GV, for the criminal offenses of creating a criminal organization, grievous bodily harm, aggravated murder, murder by incitement, illegal possession of weapons and explosive substances and unauthorized production, possession and distribution of narcotic drugs Oliver Lakić, from May 8, 2018, aggravated murder of the victim Miodrag Kruščić, May 21, 2018 and smuggling 554 kg of the narcotic drug marijuana, from Albania to Montenegro, on January 26, 2021," was stated earlier in the announcement of the special prosecutor and spokesman of the Special State Prosecutor's Office, Vukas Radonjić.
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