Čvorović ordered to be detained for up to 30 days

The investigating judge of the Higher Court in Podgorica, Goran Šćepanović, ordered a detention of up to 30 days for Nikola Čvorović, who was arrested on Sunday evening for robbery.

"Vijesti" has learned that Šćepanović ordered the detention of Čvorović, the leader of the Party of European Progress (SEP) list in the last local elections in Nikšić, due to the risk of flight and repetition of the criminal offense and influence over witnesses.

Čvorović's defense attorney, attorney Srđan Vuković, said that he would appeal the decision of the Higher Court because it was issued with absolutely essential violations of the provisions of criminal procedure and based on incorrectly determined facts.

He said that Čvorović is charged with taking someone else's personal property (a bag containing keys, a mobile phone and a wallet), which the defendant denied, while the injured party stated that Čvorović and two unknown persons snatched the bag from his hands and walked away, and that there is no evidence of this.

He also said that the injured party invited the defendant Čvorović, his former employer, to meet at the scene of the critical incident.

He claims that the injured party was waiting for him with a person who is not on good terms with Čvorović, but also that he was carrying a mobile phone without a SIM card.

"What and what kind of intentions the person who calls another person, stating where he is waiting for him and removing the SIM card before that person's arrival, and what the motive is will have to be determined, but through regular proceedings, since none of the evidence collected so far supports the thesis of the investigating judge that the existence of suspicion that the defendant committed a criminal offense at the time, place and in the manner described in the order to conduct the investigation has been confirmed," said Vuković.

He also pointed out that it is symptomatic that the injured party, both on May 31, on the night of the disputed event, and the following evening, reported to the doctors of the Clinical Center for medical assistance and that he was able to access the premises of the Podgorica Security Department for questioning, but due to the severity of his physical injuries, he could not be questioned by the state prosecutor, so detention was ordered without his questioning, which is completely illegal.

Vuković also assessed that there is no danger of flight because Čvorović, although he has a company in France, lives as a single parent in Montenegro, where his parents are.

This, he claims, is supported by the fact that Čvorović responded to the first police call, which occurred about 15 hours after the disputed event, which clearly indicates that he had no intention of fleeing the country.

Čvorović is suspected of beating up the injured party BS with two other unknown persons in the Zabjelo neighborhood of Podgorica, and of taking his purse with one of them. He was arrested on the warrant of the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica on suspicion of committing the criminal offense of robbery.