Nikola Raičević said that he never asked for any money, nor did he take money for Miloš and Vesna Medenica.
He said this today at the Higher Court in Podgorica, where the trial of Vesna Medenica continued.
Defendants Marjan Bevenja, Stevo Karanikić, customs officer Goran Jovanović and Nikola Raičević denied the indictment's allegations that they were members of a criminal organization.
Raičević stated today, presenting his defense, that he is not guilty of any criminal offense.
After Judge Vesna Kovačević introduced him to the defenses of the other defendants Vasilije Petrović, Marko and Bojan Popović, Raičević stated that he was ready to take a polygraph, but he invited Bojan and Marko Popović to do so and that it would be fair.
He suggested that they be tested together to see who was not telling the truth. Raičević stated that he had never asked them for any money, nor had he taken money for Miloš and Vesna Medenica. He added that he was not an intermediary between them and Medenica.
As for Vasilije Petrović's defense, Raičević said that it was true that they were friends, that they had various financial transactions, and that he bought an apartment on credit from Vanja Petrović, as did his brother. He said that no financial transaction was ever connected to Medenice. There were no objections to his defense.
Defendant Bevenja said that he did not plead guilty, that he had never accepted or given a bribe and that he had done his job in accordance with the regulations. He added that he met Petar Milutinović in 2018 or 2019 and that their communication was exclusively related to the construction of a facility in Tivat, and that after some time Milutinović left that job. He emphasized that he and his colleague Stevo Karanikić did not create false documentation for cigarette smuggling.
"Everything that Petar Milutinović stated is lies and untruths," said Bevenja.
He stated that he owned an encrypted phone, but that he had never used it and had never turned it on. According to him, he took the encrypted phone to sell it because he was otherwise engaged in sales, among other things. He denied Petar Milutinović's defense that he had received money from him for the preparation of documentation, and he also denied that he had communicated with Milutinović by email. Defendant Bevenja also denied that he owned a stamp-making machine.
Defendant Stevo Karanikić said he was not a member of any organization and did not have an encrypted phone. He stated that he and Bevenja never compiled any documentation for Milutinović related to cigarettes.
Customs officer Goran Jovanović explained his duties in detail and said that he understood the accusation, but that he did not understand the meaning of what he was charged with. He emphasized that he had never accepted a bribe, but that he had only done his job in accordance with the regulations. He added that he was on shift on November 31, 2019, but that the other dates listed in the indictment were not correct and that this could be easily verified.
"I did not make any false disposition. No one gave me any instructions, no orders, nor do I know what those orders and instructions were so that I could defend myself as to who ordered me something and when. Let the prosecutor say. I ask that he clearly tell me, I ask that the prosecutor tell the panel what the false documentation is. He will not tell it because it does not exist," Jovanović emphasized.
He added that he was never offered a bribe and that he took all actions solely on the orders of his superiors and in accordance with customs practice. He believes that the SDT misled the court because to date no one from the Customs Administration has initiated disciplinary proceedings against him.
Presenting his defense on March 18, defendant Marko Popović stated that he had legal disputes with the company for which Miloš Medenica, through Nikola Raičević, offered him assistance in order to conclude these proceedings in his favor. He said that in return, Miloš Medenica demanded financial compensation. The defendant indicated that Medenica provided assistance by using the influence of his mother, Vesna Medenica.
The defendant Vasilije Petrović, charged with the criminal offense of inducing unlawful influence, told the investigation before the SDT that on two occasions he gave Nikola Raičević 125.000 euros each to take to Miloš and Vesna Medenica, so that they could "finalize" the case that "Cijevna komerc" had before the Supreme Court of Montenegro.
Raičević said today that this is not true.
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