Former President of the Supreme Court, now indicted Vesna Medenica claims that the video surveillance in her home was linked to the servers of the National Security Agency (ANB).
She said this in the courtroom of the Higher Court in Podgorica, answering a question from the judge. Vesne Kovačević to explain why she mentioned cameras at the previous trial, in the context of checking the legality of the search of her house.
"I know that the cameras were connected to the ANB and the server remembers everything. There was a monitor in the police station that is still in front of my house," she said.
Her defense attorney Zdravko Begović, he added that they are not experts in digital forensics, but that they are looking to verify whether the recordings exist.
He explained that Medenica was talking about the period when she was a protected person...
Previously, in the courtroom, by listening to conversations with secret surveillance measures and questioning a police officer Srdjana Nikac Trial of criminal group continues Milos Medenica, of which, according to the Special State Prosecutor's Office, his mother Vesna is also a member.
That police officer spoke about the search of the defendant's house, stating that his task was to provide assistance and that, as far as he remembered, he searched the upstairs bedroom of the house, where he found nothing.
He added that he was not present at the signing of the minutes, but that he stands behind everything stated in it, which was signed by the head of the hearing, his colleague. Draško Kalinić.
He also claimed that the godmother was with him the whole time. Mary of the Medinica, daughters of Vesna Medenica.
Responding to questions from the prosecution, the special prosecutor Vukas RadonjićNikač said that from the beginning of the search until the end of the official action, no one left the house or entered it.
"As far as I remember, no one asked me if he could leave the house during the search. Considering that I have been working in the police since 1998, even if someone had asked me, I would not have allowed him to leave the house until the witnesses had signed the report and we had asked them if they had any objections," he said.
"The Special State Prosecutor's Office respects the right to life and for humane reasons we cannot oppose the proposal to determine the health condition of the accused Vesna Medenica, but considering her previous attitude towards the proceedings, which is why we proposed both forced arrest and detention, because certain absences were unjustified, and also bearing in mind that this is a detention case, we leave it to the court to assess whether it will accept the proposal," said one of the prosecution representatives, Special Prosecutor Vukas Radonjić.
While the special prosecutor was questioning the witness, a heated argument broke out in the courtroom between the judge and Begović, as well as the lawyer and Nikač.
"Don't tell me what to do. Lower your voice," Judge Kovačević told Begović, who replied: "Don't tell me what to do either."
Then Nikač taunted the lawyer, who replied: "You will implement the strategy there, where you are used to."
The controversy arose after Begović asked to enter into the record how Inspector Kalinić, the leader of the search, assigned his colleagues and told them to search for "objects and files"...
Feet on the screen, shootout in the courtroom
As the trial continued, witnesses were questioned by members of the panel, Begović and the defendant Medenica.
At one point, the lawyer asked the witness to explain how he could see from the upper floor of the house whether or not someone was leaving the building.
He also asked why he initially answered that no one had left the house, and when asked further, he said he didn't know.
"Why did you say that... Human destinies are at stake here," said Begović.
"Nobody came out," said Nikač.
At that moment, someone from the audience exclaimed: "Here he is again saying - 'it's no one', shame on him."
After Begović's protest, at the judge's request to clarify his answer, Nikač said:
"I didn't hear or see anyone coming out."
He also explained why he did not sign the minutes of the search, as well as why he was not present when his colleagues asked the search witnesses if they had any objections.
After Nikač's argument with lawyer Begović, when the police officer explained that after the search was over, he would take turns with the witness on the chair upstairs, adding, "I'd like to sit down now too," Judge Kovačević said:
"You are acting frivolously in the courtroom. I hope you are not so frivolous when you take official actions."
At the same time, the journalistic teams were able to see what the panel of judges could not see - the former police officer, the defendant Darko Lalović, he sat with his feet resting on the screen that separates the dock from the seats reserved for the audience.
“Veco, he completed the mission”
While the former president of the Supreme Court was questioning a witness about the search of her house, Begović said to her:
"Veco, no more, he has completed the mission."
Medenica did not object to the witness's testimony, and Begović said that Nikač confirmed the folk saying: "Cheap meat makes a soup run down the valley."
He also assessed that the witness claimed to have seen what was impossible to see - through the wall, and that he denied Kalinic's statement, and then referred to that evidence, the record of the house search, which the defense disputes:
"What kind of system, what kind of evidence... If they don't respect Vesna Medenica as a person, then they should respect her as an institution, because she was the president of the Supreme Court and a lawyer her whole life," he said, adding that he "felt sorry for the witness."
"Just don't feel sorry for me," Nikač replied.
In the continuation of the trial, conversations obtained through secret surveillance measures, conducted by the defendants, were listened to. Marko Popovic, Milorad Medenica, Nikola Raičević...
A conversation between two unidentified persons was also read, during which one of them said: "Veka is going to the dean's office."
During one of the conversations that Milorad Medenica had with a certain Bot, the show "Načisto" and its author were mentioned in a negative context. Petar Komnenic, and during the second, journalists from "Vijesti"...
"They raise my blood sugar to 30," says one of them.
In a conversation that Marko Popović had with a certain Nelom Andjusic, the defendant is heard informing his associate that the police have come and are looking for contracts with Zoran Đurović, Tanja Globarević i Marko Milošević.
"Who's looking?", asks Andjušić after Popović informed her that he needed the contracts, and he replied: "The Special Prosecutor's Office"...
It is precisely in these names, claims SDT, that the apartments were hidden, with which the Popovićs bribed Medenica to have his mother "settle" the court dispute in favor of their company...
The Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) charges Miloš Medenica with forming a criminal organization that, among other things, smuggled cigarettes, but also influenced court decisions.
The SDT also named his mother Vesna, a former police officer, as members of that organized crime group. Darko Lalović i Milorad Medenica, customs officers Ivan Kovačević i Goran Jovanović, judge Milica Vlahović Milosavljević, then Vasilij Petrović, Bojana i Marko Popović, Port of Bakoča, Petar Milutinović, Radomir Raičević, Marjana Bevenju, Steve Karanikić, Nikola Raičević and the company "Kopad Company" from Nikšić...
The criminal group gathered around Medenica is accused of creating a criminal organization, the aggravated criminal offense of smuggling, the aggravated criminal offense of bribery, accepting bribes, unlawful influence and incitement to unlawful influence, abuse of official position, unauthorized production, possession and distribution of narcotics, facilitating the consumption of narcotics, unauthorized possession of weapons and explosives, causing serious bodily harm, and preventing the production of evidence.
Judges eavesdropped and heard legally
There is no reason to exclude from the case file, as legally invalid, the minutes of the hearing of Supreme Court judges - Vesna Begović, Rade Kovačević and Branimir Femić, said yesterday the president of the panel, Judge Vesna Kovačević.
Previously, she explained that the judges were under secret surveillance measures, that during the hearing at the SDT it was explained to them that they were summoned as witnesses, not as suspects, and listed the legal provisions on when and how MTNs are destroyed, and when, despite the fact that no criminal proceedings have been initiated against them, they can be used in proceedings against third parties.
Kovačević pointed out that the council ordered a telecommunications expert to prepare a report and opinion regarding the allegations of the special prosecutor and some of the witnesses that the "Signal" and "Telegram" applications were deleted from Vesna Medenica's phone when she was detained and held at the police station.
The same expert will also rule on whether someone could have unlocked her phone if she didn't give them the code.
After she said this, Begović asked who the panel would entrust with the expert assessment, but Judge Kovačević said that she would inform them about it in writing...
Special prosecutors Vukas Radonjić and Jovan Vukotić opposed the proposal that the court terminate the detention of the defendant Luka Bakoč, and Radonjić explained why - because the defendant, through his behavior (escape and hiding), contributed to the determination and duration of the detention...
Bonus video:
