The ODT indictment against Aco Đukanović returned for amendment

The indictment of the Basic State Prosecutor's Office (ODT) in Nikšić against businessman Aco Đukanović has been returned for amendment, the Basic Court in Nikšić has decided.

The ruling issued on April 29 by Judge Mirko Kojović, acting as the president of the panel, ordered the prosecution to conduct additional evidentiary actions in order to complete the investigation.

Đukanović is charged with the criminal offense of illegal possession and carrying of weapons and explosives.

The court specified several steps that the prosecution must take, including an additional ballistics examination at the Forensic Center in Danilovgrad. The goal is to determine whether the ammunition, which is the subject of the indictment, matches the weapon the defendant is charged with, but also the weapon for which he holds valid licenses.

It was also ordered to obtain information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs on possible permits for certain weapons, including a Smith & Wesson revolver, as well as to check records of weapons that were registered to other persons connected to the case, namely Aco Đukanović's father - Radovan and his brother and former President and Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović.

The court is also requesting additional information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Security Agency regarding the type of ammunition used by their officers in certain periods, in order to clarify the circumstances of the discovery of the ammunition that is being charged against the defendant.

If these institutions do not have the requested information, the prosecution is ordered to question certain persons as witnesses in order to further clarify the facts.

The ODT, as stated in a statement by the Nikšić Basic Court, has a two-month deadline to complete the investigation, with the possibility of an extension at the request of the prosecutor.

During the hearing for the review of the indictment, Đukanović submitted to the court documentation for some of the weapons included in the indictment, and also made claims that the proceedings against him were conducted selectively. He announced that he would dispute the allegations in the indictment and initiate proceedings against those responsible, stating that he is suffering business damage due to the current process.