Awaiting decision on detention and combing through documentation: Two cases filed against Aco Đukanović

At the same time, while awaiting the decision of the investigating judge of the Basic Court in Nikšić Sava Mušikić about whether the businessman will Aco Djukanovic from custody to prove that the arsenal of weapons found in the attic of his house in Rastoci is not his, it is also expected that the Podgorica prosecutor's office will begin a detailed analysis of the documentation seized from his apartment in Podgorica, "Vijesti" has learned unofficially.

According to the same information, it concerns extensive documentation stored in several binders, which police inspectors seized during a search of the apartment of the brother of the former President of Montenegro. Milo Đukanović.

The Police Directorate previously officially announced that certain documentation was seized during a search of Đukanović's apartment in the center of Podgorica.

"During the search in Podgorica, police officers seized certain documentation, which was reported to the competent prosecutor's office, and a case will be opened for further action. In order to protect the interests of police officers, we are currently unable to provide more information about the activities carried out on the territory of Podgorica," the Police Department announced after Đukanović's arrest.

"Vijesti" announced two days ago that, according to the newspaper's unofficial information, several expensive watches were listed and photographed during a search of Đukanović's apartment on Vuka Karadžića Street in Podgorica, from where documentation was seized.

After searching his property in Podgorica and Nikšić, two cases were opened.

In the case initiated due to the discovery of weapons and ammunition, an order was issued to conduct an investigation, and the prosecutor Vanja Sindjic She proposed that the court order him to be detained for up to 30 days.

Judge Mušikić last night questioned the suspect for illegal possession of weapons, but did not make a decision on the motion for detention immediately, but will do so later.

One of Đukanović's defense lawyers, lawyer Nikola Martinovic, told reporters that the judge has until 2:30 a.m. on March 3 to make a decision, when Đukanović's 72-hour detention order imposed on him by Prosecutor Sinđić expires.

According to Martinović, certain items listed in the original criminal report were exempted from the order to conduct the investigation - bulletproof vests and some weapons for which, as he claims, it was later determined that a permit existed.

"Regarding the criminal report from last night, an order was issued to conduct an investigation in which some of the items that the prosecutor included in the criminal report, or that the police identified as a criminal offense, are missing. First of all, there is no longer any bulletproof vest because that is not a criminal offense, there is no longer any weapon that supposedly existed, for which they determined that it had a permit. There are still some weapons for which I claim there is a permit, they could not find them, but we will find them," Martinović said last night, according to the portal of Radio and Television Nikšić (RTNK).

He added that Đukanović answered all the questions of the judge, who questioned him in detail.

Đukanović was brought before the investigating judge of the Basic Court in Nikšić last night around 19 pm, and the questioning ended shortly before 21 pm.

Yesterday, his defense was provided by a three-member legal team consisting of Đukanović's sister, a lawyer. Ana Đukanović and her colleagues Neda Ivović and Martinovic.

A group of relatives and friends of the arrested Đukanović, including his brother Milo's wife and son, gathered in front of the Nikšić courthouse yesterday. Lidija i Blazo Djukanovic.

Searches, arrests, defense...

Aco Đukanović was arrested on the night between February 27 and 28, at around two and a half hours after midnight, after a search of his property in Podgorica and Nikšić.

The Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Nikšić announced that after questioning, he was detained for up to 72 hours due to reasonable suspicion that he was illegally keeping weapons and ammunition in his family home in the Nikšić neighborhood of Rastoci. The reason for the detention was cited as the risk of escape.

According to unofficial information from "Vijesti", Đukanović has crossed the state border more than 20 times in the past six months.

After several hours of questioning at the prosecutor's office, Martinović said on Saturday evening that some of the weapons found belonged to Milo Đukanović, while some were inherited from their late father and, as he says, there is documentation for him.

"...Some rifles were found with a dedication to his brother Milo Đukanović and it is definitely clear that these rifles have no connection to Aco Đukanović. A certain amount of weapons that belonged to his late father were also found, for which there is documentation. The police took all of these weapons. They will be the subject of an expert examination and I don't think there will be any dispute about that. Aco agrees to have it examined. DNA was taken. To our knowledge, the DNA will absolutely certainly show that Aco Đukanović has no connection to these rifles," said Martinović.

Regarding the ammunition found with Đukanović, Martinović said that it was most likely forgotten by officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) and the National Security Agency (ANB), who were guarding Milo Đukanović.

"A package of ammunition of various calibers was found... It is probably a backlog from the Ministry of Interior of Montenegro and the National Security Agency, the former State Security, which provided security in that area for a protected figure, the former Prime Minister and President of Montenegro - Milo Đukanović," Martinović said two nights ago.

He said the same about the bulletproof vests found in the house:

"Regarding the bulletproof vests, we also assume that these bulletproof vests were left by members of the Montenegrin Ministry of Interior who were in that house for years, everyone in Nikšić knows that, both outside and inside, providing security for protected persons and all persons who stayed in that house."

Responding to a question from "Vijesti" about whether he believes the police and the ANB are negligent or forgetful and why they would leave so much ammunition in any house, any protected person, Martinović said:

"I don't know what 'so much' means to you, it's not my job to deal with what the ANB or the police are doing, it's my job to deal with it and to clearly show that Aco Đukanović has nothing to do with that ammunition and those guns," he said.

He pointed out that the weapon had a number and that it was not a counterfeit weapon.

Two days ago, the Police Department announced that they had searched several of Đukanović's buildings and premises, based on orders obtained from the local prosecutor's offices and courts in Podgorica and Nikšić.

They explained that during the activities undertaken in the territory of Nikšić, during a search of a family house in the town of Rastoci, they found a large quantity of firearms and ammunition:

"Hunting carbine brand 'Mauser' with optical sight, in illegal possession. Rifle brand 'Brno' with optical sight brand 'Busnell', in illegal possession. Shotgun rifle of unknown brand, in illegal possession. Pistol of unknown brand, in illegal possession. Hunting carbine brand 'M-48', in illegal possession. Pistol brand 'CZ 99 PARA' with a frame containing five rounds of ammunition and a firearms license in the name of a deceased family member. Over 400 rounds of ammunition of different brands and calibers. Three empty frames. Five protective ballistic body armor. Binoculars brand 'Zeiss'," the UP said.

Aco Đukanović is the largest shareholder of Prva Banka (around 41,5 percent). The bank has been in the public spotlight for years due to state aid in 2008, subsequent doubts about how that money was returned, as well as supervisory measures and business indicators in recent years.