Pobjeda journalist Ana Raičković announced today that she is joining the criminal prosecution of Zoran Ćoć Bećirović, his son Luka Bećirović, Mladen Mijatović and Ljubiša Dukić.
She said this at today's main hearing at the Basic Court in Podgorica.
The attack on Raičković took place on November 10th last year. In addition to Zoran Bećirović, his son Luka Bećirović, Mladen Mijatović and Ljubiša Dukić were also arrested for the attack.
At today's hearing, Raičković said, among other things, that Zoran Bećirović kicked her and that Mijatović strangled her.
Raičković said that on November 10th, at around 21 p.m., she went to the "Gurman" restaurant, parked her vehicle in front of the restaurant, and then overheard a conversation between the suspects, who were talking about former Chief Special Prosecutor Milivoj Katnić and former police official Zoran Lazović, "the late Katnić and the late Lazović."
"I didn't see them because they were sitting in the dark, they seemed drunk. I soon recognized Zoran Bećirović and Mladen Mijatović, whom I knew through work from before. I heard a conversation between them saying 'yes, yes, she is' and after that a waiter who works at Gurman called me. They called him to make sure it was me, and then the insults started, saying that I work at the stinking E television, that I was a mercenary of a drug cartel. Then I told Bećirović not to address me like that and that I would respect his age, I had been persuading him up until that point," said Raičković.
She said that after that Mijatović jumped and that's when even worse insults began... "You fucking broke up the fucking women on E television."
"After that, I picked up the phone and they started threatening me that they would f*** my mother. I told him, shame on you, that's how you address me, and he didn't interrupt, but continued, and it lasted about 20 minutes in total. Immediately after those threats, I picked up the phone and went over to make sure that someone could hear everything they said to me. Two minutes later, I called the police and said that I had been attacked by two people. At that time, while all this was happening, Tomo Arapović was calling me, and I didn't answer," said Raičković.
She also said that she then called her son, that she didn't say anything to him, but that he heard everything during that conversation.
She said that after she got the hamburgers, she headed towards the car and tried to avoid Zoran Bećirović and Mladen Mijatović.
"Mijatović got in my face several times and threatened to break me. At one point I felt threatened and pushed him away with my hands. When I took the phone to record it and have him repeat what he said, 'who the f***ing fucker is from E television.' Then Mijatović stood in front of me to tell me not to record, and Bećirović told him to let her record, you f***er, look at her leather pants. He told him to record my license plates, that they would find me. Mijatović continued to hang around my car and threaten me according to Bećirović's instructions," said Raičković.
She also said that Dukić, who was there, calmed Bećirović and Mijatović, and that at no point did he threaten her or show any signs of aggression towards her.
"After that, I got in the car and parked it in another spot until the police arrived. In the meantime, my son appeared. Dukić told me to get out of the way, that they were drunk. When my son came and opened the door of my vehicle, when I saw my son, I was in a huge shock and I wasn't sure if my fiancé had told him what had happened, he asked me if I was okay, I wanted to hold him so there wouldn't be any problems. They started laughing and provoking and saying come on, f***, come on, f***, come on. Mijatović got up and my son walked towards them and there was physical contact. After that, I squatted down and hugged my son and I know I said you're insulting my child and I expected someone to help me separate them because Mijatović continued to hit him with his hands. At that moment, no one reacted, then I just saw that from the right side, Dukić kicked my son in the head. While I was in "In a crouching position above my son, I was hit from the left side, i.e. Zoran Bećirović, and I cannot say the same for his son. I sustained injuries to my hand and bruises on the left side of my body. All that mattered to me was that my child was removed from there, I told my fiancé to go find him so we could go to the police together," Raičković said.
She said that all four of them then approached her and that Mijatović started choking her, and Zoran Bećirović started pulling her hair, that they threatened to kill her, that she should tell them the name of her son who had left there.
"I kept quiet and didn't offer any resistance, nor could I, but I felt relieved because my son wasn't there. After that, Zoran said 'so and so' and started towards my fiancé's vehicle that was in front, and then the three of them started hitting his vehicle, dragging him out of the car, pulling him out, and all I know is that I pointed at Dukić with my hand, he's going to do it now, to which he said not to worry about anything and that everything would be sorted out and that I should have left, that I didn't care what they were saying because they had been drinking, and after that they came back again after attacking my fiancé and then they told me that they would find my son, that they had my license plates and that they would break him. At one point, Dukić told them to leave me and that they would kill me. If he hadn't reacted, I don't know what would have happened, considering that I couldn't breathe, I couldn't find a gas pump," said Raičković.
She also said that Dukić then sat in the passenger seat and that she then went with him to the "Munich" restaurant.
"Then I felt sick, I stopped the car, I had the urge to vomit, I couldn't breathe, I went outside to vomit. Dukić immediately got out and cried and asked if I needed water and then he got back in the car and said that I shouldn't worry and that they wouldn't harm my child, that he could guarantee me, that he had a child too, that he understood me, that I shouldn't make a fuss about it, that I didn't know what I was getting into and that both he and I worked for miserable wages, that these people had money (meaning Bećirović) and that they could do whatever they wanted in that sense and that they would pay me for the damage. Luka Bećirović did not attack me and did not threaten me. After the conversation between Dukić and me, he took my phone and said that he would call me and that he would sort everything out. He dialed his number and called me so that I could leave his phone number. I told him that I couldn't help but report what happened to the police because I wasn't sure that Zoran Bećirović wouldn't attack me tomorrow and that "Dukić can guarantee that Bećirović will not hurt me. After that, I went to the police," said Raičković.
She said she was sure of what she was saying and that Zoran Bećirović had struck her from the left side while she was in a crouching position above her son.
"He kicked me. My focus was only on my son, I didn't care that I got hit. I have to emphasize that I gave my statement before the prosecutor in a state of great shock, both because of the event and because of the fact that Bećirović's defense attorney, Danilo Mićović, told me that my son would be held accountable for the serious bodily injuries he inflicted on Mijatović, which really upset me. He told me that my son had broken his nose and arcade. At the moment I got hit, my watch fell off my left wrist and broke," said Raičković.
She added that she knows Srdjan Korac "who was present" through work, and that she does not know him personally.
"He was in and out during the event, and I say this because he is a stocky man with a specific appearance, so he is easy to spot. I can't remember when Srđan entered and exited the building, but when all this was happening, he was there. He was in the immediate vicinity of where the fight was taking place, and he was sitting with Ranko Radulović and Balša Dragović. I think he could have seen everything," said Raičković.
The prosecutor and the lawyer were warned.
Prosecutor Romina Vlahović and Zoran Bećirović's defense attorney, attorney Danilo Mićović, were warned by Judge Ilija Radulović.
"This court issues a ruling that after defense attorney Mićović takes the floor and comments on the style of asking questions, and after the acting prosecutor enters a reply with the same, without the court allowing her to do so, after her statement that it is possible that one of the witnesses will be prosecuted, defense attorney Mićović states that there will be a lot of persecution. This court issues a ruling, warning Romina Vlahović and Danilo Mićović that they cannot take the floor during the proceedings because such behavior constitutes a violation of the procedural procedure," said Radulović.
Raičković: The windshield on my brother's vehicle was damaged
Raičković said that Dukić tried to meet her brother through her and Dukić's mutual friend and Dukić's brother.
"He called him several times to make an agreement, so that they would not be held criminally liable, and to pay. After this incident, the windshield of my brother's vehicle, which was parked in front of his building, was damaged. The incident was reported to the police," she said.
When asked by the prosecutor how Raičković knew Bećirović and Mijatović, Raičković said: "Ten years ago, while I was working as a journalist for 'Pobjeda', Zoran Bećirović approached the editor of 'Pobjeda', Draško Đuranović, asking us to write about some information he had in the case of the murder of his late brother in Budva. My editor at the time, Marija Žižić, and I went to a meeting with Bećirović to give us information. After that, we had 5-6 meetings at the 'Premier' hotel and he was always polite, and Mijatović was his security guard," Raičković said.
Raičković: Bećirović threatened me ten years ago, he didn't like the title
When asked by the defense attorney if Raičković had ever written badly about Bećirović and his family members, Raičković said: "I wrote articles and reported on the trial of the murder of my brother Zoran Bećirović even after he called me on the phone ten years ago and threatened me. He called me then because of the title of the article that he didn't like - for technical reasons due to the font, we couldn't put VDT in the title but 'prosecutor's office'. He then threatened me that I had caused him to fight with his friends in the prosecutor's office, and he said that he would sue me for such a title. I didn't sue him, but I informed the editor and told them that I did not want to and would not cooperate with Bećirović, even at the cost of being fired. Since then, I have had no contact with him nor have I seen him. He then started to smear Pobjeda and that war continues to this day."
When asked by the defense attorney why she did not mention Korac in her free statement, Raičkovic said that she thought the police would collect information from citizens and that was why she did not mention Korac.
"I assumed, given that he is related to Radulović and lawyer Dragović, who are on good terms with Bećirović, that he would say he didn't see anything," she said.
"I said to the prosecutor that I knew what kind of people it was and that I knew it wouldn't end there, because I know, through my work I have information that Bećirović is connected to the commission of various acts and I know that he has previously attacked journalists, especially women," added Raičković.
Mićović said that he is demanding that the entire case be fully investigated, and that the media, especially "Pobjeda", did not report that Ana Raičković's son - Uroš Gagović, attacked Mladen Mijatović in that incident.
Bećirović asked Raičković if she remembered telling her son "don't do it Uroša, you'll kill him" when the conflict between Gagović and Mijatović occurred, to which she replied - "no, I was just saying, 'fuck, you've insulted my child'".
Raičković: If Dukić hadn't stopped them, I don't know if they would have suffocated me
Ljubo Dukić asked why Raičkovic did not report him the first night when everything was happening, but rather he was arrested two days after the event, to which Raičkovic said that on the first night she reported that she had been attacked by four people and that she did not know Ljubo Dukić's first and last name at that moment.
"Mijatović, Zoran Bećirović and Luka Bećirović pulled me out of the car, Mijatović started to strangle me, and Ćoćo pulled me by the hair and demanded that I say my son's name. During that time, Dukić moved them away from me and told them to stop, and if he hadn't stopped them, I don't know if they would have suffocated me given my health problem. Dukić later got into the car with me and tried to convince me not to report it to the police, I didn't take it as his threat, but more as information and a statement of facts," said Raičković.
Attorney Mićović proposed that the phone that Račković used that evening when she was recording the event be seized, in order to conduct an expert examination and determine all the facts, i.e. whether the defendants said what Račković claims.
The injured party's attorney said that he believes that sufficient material evidence has been collected so far in the proceedings, and therefore opposes the defense's proposal.
The court rejected the proposal to have Raičković's phone examined, because, as he said, it would only prolong the proceedings.
Arapović: My conclusion is that they attacked Ana solely because of her job
Journalist Ana Raičković's fiancé, Tomo Arapović, testified at the main trial and said that the fight started when Ana Raičković's son, Uroš, jumped on Mijatović, and Mijatović got in his face.
"They were sitting quietly, I came to ask them why they were disturbing the girl, and then they started asking who I was and what I was going to do, and that's when I think it reached its climax, and I didn't come with the intention of fighting, but to defend my fiancée.
"Mijatović told me what the f***** are you doing here, huh? Mijatović got in my face a little but didn't take any action. I pulled Uroš and Ana out of the bar, and since Uroš was the target, I escorted him out and asked him to leave the scene. I went to look for him in the car so that he wouldn't come back, and I left because I thought Ana was safe since she had gotten into her vehicle. Then I saw the accused heading in her direction. I stopped the vehicle, got out, and headed towards them, and they then ran to me, so I got back into the vehicle and then Ćoćo, Mijatović, and another guy approached and opened the door. They pulled me out, but I can't remember the exact details. I started the car, gave it gas, and left the scene to look for Uroš, then I called the police, expecting that Ana had already left. My conclusion is that they attacked Ana solely because of her job," said Arapović.
Defense attorney Mićović objects to Arapović's entire statement, saying that it "has no connection" to what he said before the prosecutor.
Gagović: Mijatović clenched his hands to hit me, I hit him...
Uroš Gagović was heard as a witness at the main trial.
He said that when he spoke to his mother on the phone about ordering food, he heard a group of men tell her, "Now you're going to f*** everyone's ass" and he immediately went there.
"I saw my mother in the car and I went to see what it was. At that moment, Mijatović said, 'Come on, you bastards,' and I went to them. Then Mijatović got up and I ran to him and we met at the door of Gurman. He clenched his hands to hit me, I hit him, we fell and I sat on him and he tried to hit me from below. I hit him back and he stopped hitting me and started writhing. Then someone else started hitting me from the side," Gagović said in his statement.
Rejection of detention for Bećirović and Mijatović denied
The Basic Court rejected the defense attorneys' proposal to terminate the detention of Zoran Bećirović and Mladen Mijatović because, as it said, the reasons for its continuation still exist.
The next hearing is scheduled for February 24th.
Bonus video:
