Trial for the murder of Kruščić and the wounding of Lakić postponed

The trial for the attack on journalist Olivera Lakić and the murder of Miodrag Kruščić was postponed today to April 28th.

Lawyer Marko Radović requested the disqualification of the President of the Supreme Court Valentina Pavličić, the Acting President of the Court of Appeal Danijela Vukčević, the President of the High Court in Podgorica Zoran Radović, and the President of the Council of Judges Radovan Vlaović.

It was learned at the trial that Judge Vlaović sent a letter to Judge Igor Đuričković on April 6th, suggesting to his colleague to postpone his trial in order to hold hearings.

In his adjournment, Judge Vlaović stated that this case is important due to the closure of Chapters 23 and 24.

"Dear colleague, I am aware that a trial has been scheduled for April 6, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. in the case against the accused Goran Rakočević and Filip Bešović, where you are the president of the panel, and a trial has been scheduled for the same day at 8:30 a.m. in the case Ks.br. 52/23, in which the accused, among others, are Goran Rakočević and Filip Bešović. Since this hearing is planned to include the hearing of authorized persons from the Forensic Center, who have confirmed their arrival, and since this is a detention case, which is under special monitoring by the European Commission in the context of fulfilling the conditions for closing chapters 23 and 24, I ask you to wait with the start of the trial in your case until the hearing in case Ks.br. 52/23 is completed," reads the letter from Judge Vlaović, which he sent to Judge Đuričković from the court's email address. The email was sent on April 2, ahead of the scheduled trial on April 6.

Defendant Goran Rakočević said in the courtroom today that this means they have "already been judged".

Judge Vlaović said that the decision is not known, but that it is important that the trial be held within a reasonable time.

Milan Vujotić, former policeman Darko Lalović, Filip Knežević, Mario Milošević, Goran Rakočević, Veselin Bubanja, Filip Bešović, Luka Bulatović, Dejan Vukašinović, Branislav Karadžić, Goran Vukčević, Mijajlo Stojanović, Aleksandar Ljumović and Sanja Božović are included in the indictment.

They are also charged with smuggling 554 kilograms of marijuana from Albania to Montenegro on January 26, 2021.

"The Council of the High Court in Podgorica, by decision Kvso no. 39/23, confirmed the indictment, Kt-S no. 265/20, dated June 20 this year, which the Special State Prosecutor's Office filed against 14 accused persons, namely: MV, GR, FB, FK, SB, VB, LB, DV, DL, BK, MM, MS, A.Lj. and GV, for the criminal offenses of creating a criminal organization, serious bodily injury, aggravated murder, murder by incitement, illegal possession of weapons and explosives and unauthorized production, possession and distribution of narcotic drugs. The subject of the indictment is, among other things, the attack on the journalist of "Vijesti", the injured party Olivera Lakić, dated May 8, 2018, the aggravated murder of the injured party Miodrag Kruščić, dated May 21, 2018, and the smuggling of 554 kg of the narcotic drug marijuana, from Albania to Montenegro. Gora, January 26, 2021," it was stated earlier in a statement by special prosecutor and spokesperson for the Special State Prosecutor's Office, Vukas Radonjić.