Aco Đukanović offers five million bail for his release

Prosecutor of the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Nikšić, Vanja Sinđić, is of the opinion that the offered bail of more than five million euros is not sufficient to release Aco Đukanović from custody.

This was stated by Đukanović's lawyer Nikola Martinović, after the hearing held today at the Basic Court in Nikšić before Judge Sava Mušikić, broadcast by RTNK.

Djukanovic was brought from the Spuža Remand Prison today for that hearing, where he had previously been remanded in custody for up to 30 days.

Martinović said that the prosecution is charging Đukanović with illegal possession of weapons, and that therefore the prosecutor's opinion is unthinkable.

"Judge Mušikić does not have to be bound by the prosecutor's opinion, the court is independent and I believe that the court will make a reasonable decision, because five million euros is an exceptionally high bail for that type of criminal offense. We expect that he will make a decision on accepting bail as soon as possible," said Martinović.

As he explained, Đukanović offered bail partly in money and partly in real estate - a family house in the Rastoci neighborhood in Nikšić and an apartment in Podgorica.

Martinović emphasized that he believes that the public should be concerned with "the opinion of Prosecutor Sinđić."

"We really need to ask ourselves what kind of judiciary we have if it can be written like this, that five million cannot justify the release of a person accused of illegal possession of weapons, and you have the fact that anyone accused of that crime is released without a single dinar of bail. So, obviously not everyone is equal before the law, as I previously thought," Martinović pointed out.

Aco Đukanović, brother of former President and Prime Minister of Montenegro Milo Đukanović, was arrested after a search of the family home in the Nikšić settlement of Rastoci on February 28, after which he was remanded in custody due to the risk of flight.

"At the proposal of the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Nikšić, A. Đ. was ordered to be detained due to reasonable suspicion that he committed the criminal offense of unauthorized possession and carrying of weapons and explosives. The detention was ordered due to the risk of flight. There is reasonable suspicion that A. Đ. was illegally holding weapons and ammunition in his house in Nikšić," the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Nikšić announced at the time.