The trial of the accused police officer Petar Lazović, and the other defendants Radoje Zvicer, Ljubo Milović, and Slobodan Kašćelan, continued today at the Higher Court in Podgorica before a special panel presided over by judge Veljko Radovanović.
Lazović continued presenting his defense today, following the previous main hearing on April 22nd.
He said in his defense that he delivered the information he received to his superiors and colleagues, and that this prevented the murder of Marko Ljubiša Kan, Slobodan Kašćelan, Marko Miljković, and Veljko Belivuk. He added that drug smuggling was prevented, as well as cigarette smuggling.
Regarding the attempted murder of journalist Olivera Lakić, defendant Lazović added that he provided the authorities with the information he had obtained. He stated that he shared the data and information he had obtained with colleagues and superiors, for the purpose of matching and further work that led to numerous arrests.
Lazović states that based on his information, which he then gave to his superiors, Dragoslav Ćetković was arrested, who was identified as an associate of the now deceased Jovan Vukotić, who was identified as the leader of the Škalja clan. He also, as he said, provided information about the potential perpetrators of the murder of Jovan Klisić and the wounding of Velizar Gardašević.
Responding to questions from his defense attorney, attorney Nikola Martinović, Lazović said that he had also given his superior Milorad Žižić information that the murder of Veljko Belivuk and Marko Miljković in Kotor or Tivat was being planned.
"Their murder was planned to be carried out when they were leaving Montenegro. According to our information, the persons who were then identified as potential perpetrators were Mile Jovanović and Goran Marković, and I know that the police deprived Goran Marković of his liberty and found weapons on him. He was arrested in a 'sheltered' apartment together with Jovanović. I also provided information that a stolen vehicle was located behind the bus station in Tivat, in which lime and a shovel were found. According to our information, Goran Marković was supposed to kill Belivuk and Miljković, and then the organizers were supposed to kill him in order to hide the traces, which is why the lime and shovel were found. I also provided operational information on the persons Jovan Mrvaljević, Mile Jovanović and Mijušković. In the vehicle they were in, overalls, a mask, gloves, a pistol with a polished number, an encrypted phone... one person claimed responsibility for this. Two were released, and then Jovanović was arrested again, and this is related to the planning of the murder "Belivuk and Miljković," Lazović said.
He added that Mile Jovanović and Zoran Mrvaljević were allegedly injured in a case being brought before the Basic Court against him and his colleagues for alleged abuse.
Lazović said in his defense that he brought information to his superiors about how and where Slobodan Kašćelan, who is also included in this indictment, was planned to be killed.
"I can't say who I got that information from. And then I gave information to my superiors about potential places where this murder could have taken place. It was on the road near where Kašćelan lives in Kotor, the second place was at the traffic lights in that city, and the third was near the Podgorica High Court. It was an explosive of great destructive power. About three kilograms and 600 grams of plastic explosive, packed into a hose pan on which magnets were welded that had a load capacity of 20 kilograms," Lazović said.
"The explosive was supposed to be placed on the roof of the car or on the side, on the door. They were supposed to attach the explosive device to the motorcycle they had previously stolen, because the motorcycle is easy to maneuver. I forwarded this to my superior, Milorad Žižić," Lazović claims in his defense.
He also mentioned information about Marko Ljubiša, known as Kan.
"This is a BIL person. According to operational information from the security services, he is the leader of the branch of the Škaljar clan in Budva. A highly positioned member of the Škaljar clan. This is not my information, this is how the security services labeled him. I came across information that the liquidation of Khan was being prepared. According to operational information at the time, this was supposed to be done by members of the Kavač clan."
He added that Khan was then brought to the official premises and told about this information. Lazović said that he personally witnessed it.
"After that, the suspects were arrested and criminal proceedings are being conducted before the competent court for planning the murder of Khan. In the pre-trial detention center, I learned from the newspaper that some of the defendants in that case had their three-year detention terms expired," Lazović said.
Lazović said that he received and then forwarded information to the authorities and superiors about mercenaries from Colombia who had entered Montenegro.
"According to our information, they were supposed to commit serious crimes on the territory of Montenegro. I also informed Milorad Žižić about this. That turned out to be true. Those people from Colombia were deprived of their liberty. Paid killers. According to this information, Goran Brajović drove them through Montenegro and was arrested with them. I am not sure if he was aware of their intentions. Incidentally, proceedings are being conducted against me and other unidentified persons for the alleged kidnapping of this Goran Brajović," Lazović said in his defense.
Pantović: Accusations at the level of science fiction
After Lazović gave his defense, the defendants Slobodan Kašćelan, Radovan Mujović, Radovan Pantović, Nikša Perović and Petar Mujović also gave their defense before the court.
"I do not admit to committing a crime. I have nothing to do with this. I told the SDT that it was a ridiculous accusation. I am lying in prison innocent. I said that last time and I will say that as long as I live," said Kašćelan.
"I do not admit to committing a crime, nor to guilt. I have been in prison for six years, serving my sentence. According to the indictment of the SDT, it is stated that I used SKY and that I went to South America and Africa. And I have already been in prison for six years," said Radovan Mujović.
Pantović said he was arrested for alleged drug smuggling.
"I do not acknowledge any messages and SKY. I have never used it. The prosecution is putting the same messages in three indictments, the same two men and the same acts. Just to keep us in custody," said the accused.
He added that all the proceedings will not be completed until 2070, until everything becomes final. He said that all this was fabricated and was at the level of science fiction.
Nikša Perović, in his defense, said that he runs a family business and that he did not commit the crime of money laundering. He said that he worked honestly and that they took out loans to build the object in question.
Petar Mujović denied the allegations in the indictment. He stated that he did not commit the criminal offense of attempted murder against Jovan Vukotić.
Indictment
In addition to Radoje Zvicer, Ljubo Milović and Petar Lazović, the accused are Radoje Živković, Nikola Spasojević, Slobodan Kašćelan, Milan Vujotic, Duško Roganović, Radovan Mujović, Radovan Pantović and Nikša Perović.
Lazović, Milović, Slobodan Kašćelan, Radovan Mujović, Pantović and Perović are charged with being, together with Ljubo Milović, Radoje Živković, Nikola Spasojević and Duško Roganović, members of the criminal organization of Kotor resident Radoje Zvicer.
The indictment states that this criminal organization was formed in the second half of 2020 and, in addition to Montenegro, operated in South America, Africa, Europe and Australia. The arrest followed media reports that EUROPOL had warned the competent authorities about Lazović's possible criminal activities. At that time, the "SKY" communication was also published, which allegedly involved Petar Lazović with the Kavčani.
Because during the second half of 2020, on the territory of Montenegro, South America, Africa, Europe and Australia, the defendant Zvicer Radoje organized a criminal organization, whose members became defendants: Milović Ljubo, Lazović Petar, Živković Radoje, Spasojević Nikola, Kašćelan Slobodan, Vujotić Milan, Roganović Duško, Mujović Radovan, Pantović Radovan, Perović Nikša and others, which aimed to commit criminal offenses for which a prison sentence of four years or a more severe penalty may be imposed by law, for the purpose of acquiring illegal profit and power, where each member of the criminal organization had a predetermined task and role, and the activities of the criminal organization were planned for an unlimited period of time and in international exchanges, with the application of precisely defined rules of internal control and discipline of members and in the activities of the criminal organization, violence and intimidation are applied and there is a readiness to apply them, in a way that he, alone or through other persons, recruited the defendants Milović Ljuba, Lazović Petra, Živković Radoja, as members of the criminal organization Spasojević Nikola, Kašćelan Slobodan, Vujotić Milan, Roganović Duško, Mujović Radovan, Pantović Radovan, Perović Nikša and others, for committing an unspecified number of criminal offenses: unauthorized production, possession and circulation of narcotic drugs under Article 300, paragraph 1 and paragraph 4 in connection with paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro, unauthorized possession of weapons and explosives under Article 403, paragraph 3 in connection with paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro, smuggling under Article 265, paragraph 3 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro, abuse of official position under Article 416, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro and money laundering under Article 268, paragraph 3 in connection with paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro. The accused Zvicer Radoje, as the organizer, assigned tasks and roles to the members in order to implement the criminal plan, determined for himself to plan the commission of certain criminal offenses and order when and how they would be committed, to provide money for the commission of criminal offenses, to determine which members of the opposing criminal organization would be killed, to procure firearms for that purpose, either himself or through other members of the criminal organization, to organize the smuggling of narcotic drugs, cocaine and hashish from South America and Africa to Montenegro, other European countries and Australia, to determine the amount of money that each member of the criminal organization would invest in the smuggling of cocaine and hashish, the amounts of smuggled cocaine and hashish that would belong to the members of the criminal organization individually, the amounts of money that each member would receive after reselling cocaine and hashish, and to exercise control over the members of his criminal organization.
Bonus video:
