The Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) claims that I am the head of a criminal organization are unfounded. This is an artificially constructed procedure, based on reckless statements by politicians, due to my friendly relations with former Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić, because his son married my daughter, said Saša Pekić, accused of creating a criminal organization and cigarette smuggling.
The trial of him and the other defendants began today at the Higher Court in Podgorica before a Special Chamber presided over by Judge Branislav Leković.
In addition to Pekić, the SDT indictment also indicts Srđan Jokić, Goran Janketić, brothers Petra and Mirko Cicmil, Dragan Backović, Predrag Vučurović, Predrag Mijušković and Nikola Glomazić, for the criminal offense of creating a criminal organization and smuggling cigarettes over a long period of time.
The SDT believes that between the end of 2019 and March 2021, the defendants smuggled at least 22.539 packages of untaxed cigarettes of various brands, thus causing damage to the Montenegrin budget in the amount of at least 17.551.143 euros, based on unpaid taxes and customs duties.
Presenting his defense, Pekić said he suspected a political motive. He denied the allegations in the indictment, claiming that he did not organize a criminal organization and that he had never used Sky Communications.
"This is an artificially constructed procedure, and based on reckless statements by politicians, due to my friendly ties with former Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić, because his son married my daughter. So, the political background is at stake. I did not form any criminal organization, not even this one for cigarette smuggling. Although there is no evidence, I was arrested. The SDT ordered my detention and later charged me only based on Sky Communications. They do not even claim in the indictment that I used it. My identification was established based on the Sky Communications of Srđan Jokić and Goran Janketić, who never participated in the commission of the criminal offense, let alone that I was their boss," said Pekić.
He added that these were all alleged communications and that no one had ever addressed him as "boss".
"Skaj Communications does not mention my name and surname Saša Pekić anywhere, nor any of my personal information. Therefore, the SDT's claims that I am the head of a criminal organization are unfounded. The SDT states that I am the head of a criminal organization and establishes this from Sky Communications in another case, where my godfathers participated and that I had the nickname 'Mirsad'. I did not use Sky Communications nor did I have any need for it. Although I have lost trust in the SDT and the court, I believe that this council will right the wrong done to me. I have been in custody for 14 months and my stay at large cannot be an obstacle to this court proceeding," said Pekić.
Jokić and Janketić also denied the allegations in the indictment. Jokić said he was not guilty, that he did not use Sky Communications, that he was not a member of a criminal organization, and that he did not participate in cigarette smuggling.
"I never called Saša Pekić 'boss', only Saša or Sale," Jokić said. Janketić stated in his defense that he had no connection to any criminal organization.
Backović, assistant commander of the Vilusi police station, also rejected the allegations in the SDT indictment.
"I am not a member of any criminal organization, I did not participate in cigarette smuggling and I never had an encrypted phone. I never transferred money from Mirko Cicmil at Jokić's request. I never dealt with transferring money, as alleged in the SDT indictment. I am not a member of the criminal organization of Mirko and Petar Cicmil. I did not recruit police officers to 'clear' the route where the smuggling was taking place. I did not issue orders to my fellow police officers Vučurović and Mijušković. I did not have jurisdiction in the Nikšić Central Bank and the police station in Plužine, the route along which the cigarettes were smuggled. I did not have a schedule of police patrols in Nikšić and Plužine, where the cigarette transport went. I did not receive money for securing the smuggling of cigarettes," Backović said.
Petar Cicmil pleaded not guilty and pointed out the illogicality of the allegations in the indictment.
"The indictment contains numerous illogicalities and contradictions, namely that during the period when I was serving my sentence in prison, from February 3 to April 3, 2020, I left prison 13 times and smuggled cigarettes. I am not a member or organizer of any criminal organization," he said. His brother Mirko Cicmil also rejected the allegations in the indictment.
Mijušković said in his defense that he has been working in the police for 25 years and that he has always fought against all forms of crime. He also, like the other defendants, rejected the allegations in the indictment.
Vučurović said he did not participate in cigarette smuggling and was never a member of a criminal organization. Glomazić also rejected the allegations in the indictment, stating that he was not guilty and challenging the legal validity of Sky Communications.
The court rejected the defense attorneys' proposals to terminate the detention of Pekić, the Cicmil brothers, Backović, Vučurović, Mijušković, and Glomazić.
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