Darkness "ate" the attacker's traces: The incident at the Ulcinj Municipal Assembly remains unsolved

During the power outage at the extraordinary session of the Ulcinj Municipal Assembly (MA) on May 28th last year, unknown persons used and activated an irritating substance in the hall, leaving no traces that could serve as material evidence for the identification of the perpetrators.

This is stated in the response of the Public Relations Team of the Police Directorate (UP) to the question of "Vijesti" whether the police have made progress in the investigation into revealing the perpetrators of the incident.

An unprecedented incident in Ulcinj's parliamentarism occurred late at night at an extraordinary session of the Ulcinj parliament, during a discussion on the dismissal of the then mayor, Omer Bajraktari, when a then unknown chemical device was thrown, causing chaos in the municipal hall. The councilors then left the hall in front of the municipal building, and ambulances and police vehicles were also present. No one was injured in the incident.

The UP reminded that on May 28, 5, police officers from the Security Department (SD) of Ulcinj acted upon a report from the President of the Ulcinj Municipal Assembly that tear gas had been activated, and that they immediately went to the scene, which they secured until the arrival of the Crime Scene Investigation Team.

An on-site investigation was conducted, pursuant to the authorization of the state prosecutor at the Basic State Prosecutor's Office (ODT) in Ulcinj.

"By undertaking activities to establish the facts of this event, police officers learned that in the part of the city where the Ulcinj Municipality building is located, there was an interruption in the power supply, immediately before the activation of the substance with an irritating effect in the Municipal Assembly hall. Unknown persons took advantage of this and activated the irritating substance in the hall, leaving no traces that could serve as material evidence for the identification of the perpetrators. After the arrival of electricity, the Municipal Assembly session continued, with increased police security, which maintained a stable state of public order and peace and enabled the session to end without any disturbances," the UP response states.

It is added that during the work on the case, police officers also seized video footage from the security cameras of the Ulcinj Municipal Hall, and upon inspection of that footage, it was recorded that the interruption of work occurred before the power outage, or the activation of the substance with an irritating effect.

"And this was after the speech of the former Mayor. He, displeased with the course of the session, called on the citizens present who were following the session to approach the speaker and disrupt the work of the Municipal Council, which they did, preventing the next speaker - the councilor - from continuing his presentation. Shortly afterwards, the electricity went out in the hall, and further events, including the moment the substance with an irritating effect was activated, were not recorded or otherwise documented," the response states.

It is emphasized that police officers identified all persons who attempted to disrupt the Ulcinj Municipal Assembly session and took statements from them.

"In addition, statements were taken from the CEDIS duty team regarding the circumstances of the power outage, as well as from the president of the Ulcinj Municipal Assembly, and numerous councilors who attended the session. Procedural measures and actions were taken in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code, for which evidence was completely collected and a case was formed and submitted to the competent prosecutor for further jurisdiction," the UP states.

"Vijesti" announced at the end of August last year that the last evidentiary action taken in the case up to that point was obtaining a communications listing.

In May of this year, the Ulcinj Public Prosecutor's Office announced that the implementation of this evidentiary action had been submitted to the Police Department, but that a report had not been submitted by then.

In May of this year, the Police Directorate told "Vijesti" that officers of the Ulcinj Security Department, acting on a report, took official measures and actions to determine all the circumstances "under which the tear gas was activated in the Ulcinj City Council building"...

The police did not answer questions at the time about what the camera footage and communications logs showed, the review of which was ordered by the Ulcinj ODT.

At the same time, almost a year and a half after the report, the police are still searching for the thieves who took the original and valuable painting by Montenegrin painter and academician Vojo Stanić from the office of the director of the HTP "Ulcinjska rivijera" and placed a replica of it on the wall in its place.

The Police Department reminded that this act was reported to the Ulcinj Security Department on April 22, 4, by the then executive director of "Ulcinj Riviera", Ć. H.

"Police officers acted upon the report and informed the state prosecutor at the ODT in Ulcinj about the incident. OB officers collected information for the record from the current and former management of HTP "Ulcinjske rivijera", employees of this company, as well as from other persons who may have information about the incident," the UP said in response to the question of whether there has been any progress in the investigation in this case.

Expert confirms that the painting is a forgery

The Police Directorate reminds that, upon the order of the competent prosecutor, an expert examination was conducted of a painting suspected of being a forgery, which was used to replace the original painting in the office of the director of the HTP "Ulcinjska rivijera".

"The expert's findings have been submitted to the prosecutor in charge. Other police and prosecutorial measures and actions are being taken to shed light on the incident in question, identify and prosecute the perpetrators, and find the stolen work of art, the outcome of which the public will be informed in a timely manner," the UP's response states.

The Ulcinj Prosecutor's Office confirmed that the expert examination showed that it was a forgery.

"The opinion of the expert in the fields of photography, painting and sculpture indicates that the painting in question is not authentic and original, and that it was photographed and printed on a digital canvas," the Ulcinj Public Prosecutor's Office announced.