At today's continued hearing in the case against Zoran Ćoć Bećirović, his son Luka, Mladen Mijatović and Ljubiša Dukić for the attack on Pobjeda journalist Ana Raičković, Srđan Korać, Balša Dragović, Ranko Radulović and Miloš Stanković, who were present that night, testified.
Korac said that he came to Gurman that evening between 21:30 PM and 21:45 PM, and that he was normally a guest of the restaurant.
"When I arrived, Ranko Radulović, Balša Dragović and Miloš Stanković were there. I sat at the last table on the right, ordered a drink and expected company. I noticed that Ćoćo and his team were there, he was going to the toilet to get something, and I only know him from the media," said Korać.
He also said that after about fifteen minutes, Tomo Arapović quickly entered the bar and stood in the middle of the bar.
"He was upset and was watching me and looking me in the eye. He nodded while talking on the phone and at that moment he was telling someone 'I'm right where you are'. A few moments later I went to the toilet and when I came out everyone was looking towards the exit door. Someone at the bar told me these guys got into a fight, I came to the table, I see Ranko Radulović and a uniformed police officer. I notice Ćoć and Mijatović, it's crowded, there were more people I couldn't make out," said Korac.
He said he didn't know what happened and that everything would be easily resolved once the cameras were removed.
"The police came and confiscated the video surveillance receiver that was in the police station with Inspector Racković. I met a fellow police officer and after 30 minutes, colleagues from the crime center came and asked for the recording, when Ranko Radulović told them that they were at Racković's. My first time out of the bar was at 23:00 PM and I know this because my daughter called me to pick her and her friend up. Until then, I had not left the bar since I entered, and I was at my table the whole time. It is not true that Radulović and Dragović were sitting with me. I was questioned before the prosecutor and here today in court regarding this event, and I was not questioned by the police. There is video surveillance from which it can be determined that everything I am saying is true," said Korac.
After Korac, Balša Dragović, who was at the Gurman bar on November 10, also testified.
"I was at Gurman and I was sitting with Miloš Stanković at around nine in the evening. A car parked in front of Gurman and a blonde girl got out and headed towards the counter. She turned towards Bećirović's table once or twice, and after about a minute or two I heard some shouting. I moved closer and heard her calling them 'bums' and approaching them from the counter to the table. She said she would record them on her phone, and in this discussion Bećirović and Mijatović were persistent, making some shouting, and Raičković was even more persistent," said Dragović.
He said that Raičković, Bećirović and Mijatović insulted each other and that Ljubo Dukić separated them to prevent physical contact.
"Dukić asked her to move away, while shouting at them to move away and return to the table. She headed for her vehicle but turned back towards them. After 4-5 minutes, I received a message to send an email and I headed towards the vehicle and saw that my car was blocked. Then I saw Ana in the car, I was surprised that she was sitting there and why she hadn't left. I adjusted the rearview mirror to see what was going to happen and I saw a black guy running up to Raičković's vehicle, who asked him what he was doing there. A gray-haired man with glasses came and he calmed him down and then the gray-haired man walked away. Then Mlijatović got up and talked to the gray-haired man (Tom Arapović), holding both hands up (a posture like when someone surrenders and defends) and it seemed to me like he wanted to calm the situation, but I didn't hear what happened after Ana screamed. At that moment, this black guy broke away from Ana Raičković, Mladen was standing and looking at the gray-haired man and Uroš approached him from behind and hit him. When I got closer, all I saw was that this guy was sitting on Mladen's chest and was beating him up. Then I turned around and saw Dukić running towards Gurman and that's when I told him - 'Run, they killed this comrade of yours'," Dragović testified.
He said that Dukić ran into Gurman and lifted Uroš Gagović off Mladen Mijatović.
"Dukić throws Gagović out and tells him to run away from there. When I came out, I saw a black guy near the planter holding a long pole. Becirovic and Mijatović head towards the vehicle where they noticed a female person and from a distance they started shouting 'just tell me who this is' and Dukić says 'no, no, you can't come here'. He kept pushing them away from her and telling her 'please close the door'. When Bećirović and Mijatović saw Tomo Arapović in the 'Smart' car, Mijatović tried to open the passenger door and failed to open it because it was locked and they shouted 'who is this, who is this'. Mladen and the older Bećirovic approached the 'Smart' driven by Tomo Arapović, but Arapović stepped on the gas and left the place. They return to the car to argue, and Dukić pulls it aside. I notice that Arapović is coming back and I approach him and say - get out of here", Dragović said today on hearing.
He added that he was not sure whether anyone could have reached Ana through Dukić, but he did not see any contact.
"I am sure that there was no hitting, pulling or strangling by the defendants. Dukić was telling them to 'get out of here' and he was telling Ana to go and get away from that place and was showing her the way past the car wash. I saw the moment when the younger Bećirović broke the rear window of journalist Raičković's car," he said.
When asked what insults Bećirović and Raičković had directed at each other, the witness said that the journalist from "Pobjeda" told Ćoć Bećirović "you're peeking out of Milo Đukanović's ass when he walks through the city" and added "f*** you and Milo Đukanović" and after that they replied to her "f*** you, Bemaksovci".
Defense attorney Danilo Mićović proposed that the trial be audio-recorded "so that we would not be in a situation where we would have to object and point out any differences between what the witness said and what was recorded in the minutes," which the court rejected because "there is no procedural duty for such an action."
Mićović also asked that the record include that State Prosecutor Romina Vlahović stated that she had not watched the recording of the event in question, and that this was why she was asking "such questions to witnesses," to which Vlahović said that she ironically replied that she had not watched the recording.
At today's hearing, the owner of "Gurman", Ranko Radulović, who was present at the bar that evening, also testified.
"Around 21:00 p.m., Bećirović and his son, Ljubo Dukić and Mladen Mijatović arrived. Nothing bad was happening, but there was some communication, I couldn't hear it because the music was loud. I saw Dukić approach Raičković and I know that Mladen Mijatović was also approaching her. Not long after, she was walking towards the car. She eventually started the car and I thought it was over. After that, Tomo Arapović arrived and stood confused and looked around the building and left. He didn't stand there long and went to the table with Bećirović when Mijatović got up and talked to him. Not half a minute later, a young guy ran over Arapović and hit Mijatović, when he fell as if he had been cut down. I think Arapović fell too, but he got up immediately, the young guy stayed on Mijatović, Luka and Zoran immediately entered. I think Mladen was in some kind of knockout. Ljubo Dukić behaved like a knight, "He did not come as a friend of Bećirović, but tried to calm the whole situation, he physically prevented Ćoćo, Luka Bećirović and Mijatović from coming out. He tried to hold them back for at least a minute, which I thought Ana and her son would use to leave. The last thing I saw was when Mrs. Raičković was driving her car and Dukić was sitting next to her and they were leaving Gurman's. After that, the police came, they asked for information from me and the Bećirovićs and all the other actors," said Radulović.
He pointed out that he is related to Srđan Korać and that Korać was not present at the facility when this event took place.
"All of this lasted two or three minutes, and I had the feeling that it lasted a very long time. I didn't see anyone hit Ana, nor would I have allowed it. No one hit Tom Arapović, and as for Mijatović, he fell as if he had been killed, he was knocked down, and I didn't see him hit anyone at that time. I don't know if the counter worker managed to see when Ana Raičković Mladen Mijatović got in her face. I don't remember if she dropped her watch, but I remember that she came to get her phone," said the owner of the Gurman restaurant.
Miloš Stanković also testified at today's hearing, saying that he suffered great pressure from the police and state prosecutor Romina Vlahović on the night of the incident.
"When I came to the police station after the incident, the police officer told me during my statement, 'you're going to tell me this and that' and told me that there was a recording of the entire incident, and he asked me to say that Bećirović and his team were beating Raičković. I said that I didn't want to give a statement to the police officer, but to the state prosecutor. The prosecutor put pressure on me and argued with the defense attorney," Stanković said.
He said that half an hour before the event, he came to Gurman and sat down with Balša Dragović, who is a friend of mine.
"I ordered food, and at one point he moved - when I asked him why, he said because they were arguing outside. I heard the arguing but didn't pay attention because I was texting with a girl. After a certain amount of time, Dragović went out to finish something on his laptop. A few minutes later, my neighbor Tomo Arapović entered the bar and was looking around. He stopped talking to Mijatović, and at that moment a black guy entered and hit Mijatović. I experienced the stress of it breaking out and ran to the toilet. Then Tomo Arapović also attacked Zoran Bećirović and grabbed him by the jacket and pushed him down, and then Ranko Radulović stood between them. At that moment, I ran out the back door and watched the whole incident through the glass. I didn't see anyone hit Ana," said Stanković.
Defense attorney Mićović said that the prosecutor put pressure on all the witnesses, to which Vlahović said that the hearing went without any problems, and said that Mićović shouted at her and that the situation was stressful and tense that evening.
Due to the arguments between Vlahović and Mićović at today's hearing, the court issued a decision to fine the defendants' defense attorney Danilo Mićović 400 euros for breach of discipline.
After that, Mićović again took the floor without the court's permission and asked to be removed and punished, and that it was clear to him in what direction such actions of the court were leading, to which the court issued another decision punishing Mićović for contempt of court with another fine of 700 euros.
Mićović requested that the detention of Zoran Bećirović and Mladen Mijatović be terminated because "it lasts an inappropriately long time and is turning into a punishment", and the court ruled to reject the proposal to terminate the detention of the defendants because, according to the Court's assessment, the reasons for which their detention was ordered and extended still exist.
Bonus video:
