At the trial of those accused of breaking into the depot of the Higher Court in Podgorica, in a case known as the "Tunnel affair", police officers who were present during the crime scene investigation in September 2023 testified today.
Police officer Tomo Femić, who physically walked through the tunnel, said that the first part of the tunnel by the High Court depot was narrower, but that he could move through the rest on all fours.
"I had to crawl for the first part, but then I could move on my knees. I'm 193 cm tall, weigh 83 kilograms, and it was comfortable for me to enter through the opening on the side of the depot," said Femic.
He explained that he followed a crawler robot that had a camera and lighting, and that the passage through the tunnel took less than an hour. In the tunnel, he said, he encountered a pipe, a shaft, a slight decline, and a curve.
"I did not encounter any obstacles, nor am I aware that the tunnel opening was widened. I do not remember making a note about entering the tunnel, I would have to check in the binder. As far as I remember, I passed through the tunnel on the first attempt, and I cannot remember whether I left and returned to get my equipment, whereby I point out that I did not encounter any obstacles, but rather passed through the tunnel on the first attempt," said Femić.
Defense attorney Stefan Jovanović objected to his testimony, stating that it did not match the statements of other police officers who were at the scene and who testified at the previous hearing, who claimed that the opening in the wall was widened so that the robot could enter, and that the police officer did not manage to enter the tunnel the first time, but turned back.
Police officer Miro Drljević said at today's hearing that his task was to bring the equipment, including the robot, which was the first to be introduced into the tunnel.
"There are four robots, two smaller and two larger, we used a smaller crawler. The first time it had problems with the signal. I didn't see the footage, but my colleagues told me the next day that the robot went the entire length of the tunnel."
Drljević said that he was not present when the robot was inserted into the tunnel, nor when someone physically passed through it, but he heard from colleagues that he was.
"I guess the robot went first, then the colleague," said Drljević.
Retired police officer Đokica Braunović, who prepared the reports from the crime scene, said that the entire situation in the depots was documented.
"When we arrived at the scene, there were no signs of a break-in, the lock cylinder was intact, and the items in the depot were scattered."
The next morning, he said, he learned that there was another opening, from the direction of the building across from the courthouse. He added that the technician measured the openings in the wall on both sides while he entered the data into the report.
"The dimensions of the opening were determined before the guy passed through them. He walked behind the robot and found small objects, which was also noted in the report," said Braunović.
When asked about a possible tunnel expansion, Braunović said that he knew nothing about it.
"I was there every day and the only thing that was done was to move one stone so that the robot could enter. No one could move anything while the investigation was being conducted or access those openings," the retired police officer pointed out.
Attorney Jovanović objected to this statement as well, stating that it contradicted the statements of other witnesses.
At today's hearing, the findings of expert witness for digital evidence and computer forensics Nikola Cmiljanić were read out, stating that it was not possible to identify the license plates of the Renault Clio allegedly used by one of the defendants, Predrag Mirotić, in the recordings.
The depot of the High Court in Podgorica was broken into on September 8, 2023, and the thieves stole material evidence stored in that room until September 11, it was established by the investigation of the Podgorica prosecutor's office and the police. The investigators discovered that the underground tunnel, through which the thieves entered the court depot, had been dug since the end of July.
Thus, the trial of the defendants Veljko M. Marković from Loznica, Milan T. Marković from Loznica, Dejan D. Jovanović from Belgrade, Vladimir M. Erić from Loznica, Predrag M. Mirotić from Zeta, Katarina D. Baćović from Podgorica, Nikola D. Milačić from Podgorica and Marijan P. Vuljaj, residing in Tuzi, continued today.
Bonus video:
