Interior Minister Danilo Šaranović announced that they know who provided logistical support for Miloš Medenica's escape.
During his appearance on Prva Televizija last night, he spoke about fugitives Miloš Medenica and former prosecutor Lidija Mitrović, and made a clear distinction between these two cases, as the only similarity is that they are both inaccessible to the competent authorities.
"What is easier to explain to the public when it comes to former special prosecutor Mitrović is that she was sentenced by a final verdict and was an uninteresting person. Half a year after the verdict of seven months in prison was issued, after more than half a year, the police were informed by the court that she had not reported to serve her sentence, after which we issued an arrest warrant for Mitrović. In that segment, this is a person who was not interesting in the previous period from the aspect of the jurisdiction and actions of the police," said Šaranović, reported Pobjeda.
When it comes to Miloš Medenica, Šaranović states that the problem occurred after the first-instance verdict for 18 people was pronounced, where Medenica and his mother, former President of the Supreme Court Vesna Medenica, were sentenced to 10 years in prison.
"Here you can see our cries and the emphasis on the request of the Bureau for Operational Coordination to intervene in the Criminal Code. In the public space, a logical error was made in most cases. The consequence is discussed, and not the problem itself. The director of the police gave professional views and explanations. The consequence is Miloš Medenica's escape, but in our analysis we need to talk about the problem. We all know that the rule of law rests on three pillars - the police, the prosecutor's office and the court. The beginning of this problem lies in inefficient court proceedings. You know that Medenica's detention in UIKS expired three months ago, and we would not have this problem if we had a verdict. If the verdict could have been pronounced in the 39th month, why not in the 36th? If this verdict had been rendered three months ago, Miloš Medenica would have been in prison," said Šaranović.
It is not the task of the Ministry of the Interior, he adds, to overcome the problem of inefficient court proceedings.
"The failure to issue verdicts within three years is a problem. That is why we insisted on amending the Criminal Procedure Code, that through these types of legal amendments and interventions, it is possible to create the possibility that detention can last for these most serious criminal offenses, but on the other hand, to intervene in the criminal code," said Šaranović, as reported by Pobjeda.
Maybe the bottom line is - why hasn't Vesna Medenica spoken up yet?
He added that the former regime before 2020 created such a framework that there is no rule of law.
"Responsibility needs to be individualized. As holders of key positions, we have insisted on amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code since the beginning of our mandate, when this became our responsibility. These surveillance measures are recognized in the law in such a way that they are not applicable in practice because they are not effective. If the measure of leaving the apartment were effective, then there would be no need to order detention in prison. The case of Vesna and Miloš Medenica is in fact the face and back of the regime that we defeated in 2020. She was either a prosecutor or the president of the Supreme Court for 17 years. She is the only Montenegrin citizen who was convicted in the first instance with a prison sentence - and who was not ordered to be detained," said Šaranović.
He added that the SDT's position regarding this case was heard, where they were satisfied only with the guilty verdict, but also that they did not look favorably on several things.
"Vesna Medenica, as a former prosecutor and judge, is the only person who has been sentenced to 10 years and who was not ordered to be detained, was not ordered to be banned from leaving her apartment, not even with electronic surveillance - but rather a ban on leaving Kolašin. If you take into account this circumstance, she is the one who covered the functions in the court and the prosecutor's office, and who said that she saw all sorts of things while exercising her jurisdiction. So she will decide when the conditions are met for her to speak out and if she has something interesting to say. Maybe the essence is why she has not spoken out until now? Then we come to the conclusion that the court's actions themselves have their own illogicalities," he said.
He stated that it is completely clear what responsibilities belong to whom.
"Set up the police, the prosecution and the court - it's clear to everyone who is efficient. The police and the prosecution are related. The prosecution conducts the investigation, the police deprive people of their liberty on the order of the prosecution. I want to affirm the cooperation that is at an unprecedented level between the police and the SDT. In the latest report of the European Commission, these results were praised with the highest grade. Or to bring the matter closer to the citizens - almost no arrest and case conducted by the SPO, the sector for combating crime, was a surprise. The full efficiency of the prosecution and the police has been demonstrated, you know how? Because cases have been implemented that citizens could not even dream of before 2020. What is happening should lead us to a solution to get out of this nonsense - where the judicial branch does not issue verdicts," said Šaranović
He also recalled the case of Vuk Lalatović, who fired 15 bullets into the back of another person.
"He admitted that he did it, and within 3 years the person is released from custody. After that, he commits a new criminal offense to the detriment of Pejović and Lipovina, who were also ordered to leave their place of residence. All of these persons were released," said Šaranović.
Commenting on the fact that the prosecution and police are arresting people, but the courts are releasing them anyway, Šaranović points to the conclusion that, in addition to the police, vetting is also needed in the judiciary.
"We are a target of organized crime because the UP was previously at the forefront of the fact that it was criminalized in the previous period. We changed that situation. But you also have the status quo and that is why we are advocating for an intervention in the law, which is important from the aspect of the Police Administration's actions. In that segment, I think it is more than clear where responsibility should be addressed. We should only talk about the consequences in order to get to the cause and prescribe therapy. One branch of government is the one that shows inefficiency. We are not efficient in the form of pronouncing judgments and we are not efficient in the supervision measures prescribed by the Criminal Procedure Code. That is why I say - this Medenica case should not be of interest to the public from the aspect of reflection, but rather the sustainability and meaning of such supervision measures that are pronounced, but also the court's decision-making. Vesna Medenica is the author of the position that no one except the court should be allowed to comment on court verdicts - we are human beings and we have the right to comment. If we take one component - if Miloš Medenica escaped, it was logical that despite the fact that Vesna is Miloš's mother, "to issue a new decision by the High Court to order legal detention," he said.
He recalled that the SDT had filed an appeal against the decision imposing a ban on Medenica from leaving Kolašin and requested that a new decision be issued.
About the escape of Miloš Medenica
Speaking about Miloš Medenica's escape, Šaranović said that hundreds of inspections of facilities were carried out at the level of several regional centers and several municipalities.
"The direction of movement is known in several locations. Whether the investigation or actions to locate Miloš Medenica are moving positively, I want to say that based on my knowledge - the Police Directorate, through its application and method of organization, may be able to locate this person," he said.
He added that it is illegal to comment on active police investigations, but went so far as to say that they know who the individuals who provided logistical support for Medenica's escape were.
He added that it is not ruled out that Medenica is still in Montenegro. Commenting on the recordings allegedly showing Miloš Medenica sending messages, as well as the accounts that distribute the material, Šaranović stated that the police are working to identify those distributing the recordings.
"The High-Tech Crime Department announced that these are recordings that are the work of artificial intelligence. We are in a country where many have been deprived of their liberty, two former police directors, a former director of the ANB, the head of operations at the ANB, the former chief SDT, the deputy of the GST, a high court judge, a basic court prosecutor... So if we take these circumstances into account, we should not rule out any possibility. In all its components, in the manner of conducting the court proceedings, in the measures that were imposed, in the court decision with which the SDT does not comply... You have heard the justified position of the SDT, who are satisfied because the work of the SDT and the police was confirmed by the verdict, but they complained about other components, which are the amount of the sentences, the failure to order detention for Medenica and the imposition of a measure prohibiting her from leaving the apartment," said Šaranović.
He added that they have clearly addressed what their professional views are and what their interventions that must be made are.
"I expect that the authorities will increase the dynamics after a case like this and that a new Criminal Procedure Code will be introduced as soon as possible, which should ultimately result in the pronouncement of verdicts within three years," said Šaranović.
Security sector leaders to meet with Prime Minister on Monday
Responding to the question of whether he met with Prime Minister Spajić and other security sector leaders, Šaranović stated that the fact that there was no meeting does not mean that there was no communication.
"That meeting will take place on Monday and will be attended by myself, the police director, the president of the Supreme Court and the minister of justice. I am in regular communication with the director of the ANB. There is no reason for mystification, I can responsibly claim that we have good cooperation at the operational level where the essence of communication should take place," said Šaranović.
He added that there must be changes to the Criminal Procedure Code and that it should be submitted to the Parliament. And when asked whether there are people loyal to the former regime in the security sector, Šaranović said that if there were none, then they would not conduct vetting in the police.
Criminals have no state protection.
When asked what is happening with Ljubo Milović, and the fact that he has since had a son while on the run, Šaranović claims that this way of working by the Police Directorate, SPO and SDT sends a clear message to every criminal that they do not have the protection of the state and that they will have their greatest enemy in the state.
"The Police Directorate is taking all possible measures to locate not only Ljubo Milović, but also other members of the OKG who are unavailable to the competent authorities. We have made this message concrete through the circumstance - that there is no member of the OKG who has been recognized in SOCTI and who has not been processed by the UP, SDT, and SPO. There is not a single member of the criminal organization who has not faced the police. The only question here is how to get to the point where we have a final outcome through the pronouncement of verdicts and achieving full efficiency in the court proceedings conducted before the High Court," said Šaranović.
He recalls that they were accused of political dismissals in the Police Directorate, and that the dismissed police officers even said that they too were involved in political activities.
"What I also particularly emphasize is that this vetting, or integrity check, of police officers is confirmed in other instances. Every decision on suspension at the proposal of the director is confirmed by the appeals committee. That is why we have proposed amendments to the law that should send a clear message at all levels. And that is to promote zero tolerance for the abuse of the police badge. That badge will not be a cover for creating criminal organizations and various other criminal activities. I expect support in all of this from all other socio-political actors because I do not want to end my mandate without bringing this process to an end," he said.
The minister added that they are fighting against people who have hundreds of millions of euros, and police officers receive a salary of 1.600 euros, but that they are also required to fight.
"No one can deceive citizens anymore. They can see who wants to make bold decisions, who doesn't calculate with the law. The law will apply equally to all people, and we will bring this process to an end and by the end of our mandate, we will leave a Police Directorate in which no one will have a dilemma that they are the protectors of citizens and not criminals," said Šaranović.
Bonus video:
