Payments from the suspected public bailiff were increasing rapidly Vladana Batka on games of chance - prosecutorial papers show that in 2017 he gambled with around three thousand euros, while in 2023 that figure increased to just over 700.000 euros.
The files of the Bijelo Polje High Court confirming the detention of a person arrested for abuse of office list the figures he paid in and withdrew during that seven-year period.
When everything is added up, he is in the red by around 800.000 euros.
The Police Directorate recently clarified that he transferred funds intended exclusively for the settlement of creditors, instead of forwarding them to the legitimate recipients, to his private account, as well as to the accounts of third parties connected to the organizers of games of chance, thereby knowingly abusing public authority...
"The suspect treated the money of creditors and citizens of Montenegro as his own betting stake, so instead of legally implementing final decisions and transferring money to the injured parties, he obtained unlawful material gain for himself, causing material damage to the budget and citizens of Montenegro in the total amount of 2.052.527 euros," the statement reads. The UP adds that they will continue "with decisive and indiscriminate action in the fight against all forms of crime."
In the document submitted to the Police Department by one of the organizers of the games of chance, and cited by the judges, it is stated that Batak paid a total of 3.115 euros in 2017, 17.665 a year later, and already in 2019: 79.669,04 euros.
In 2020, the figure increased to 204.795,71, and a year later that figure more than tripled: 680.098 euros.
According to the same document, in 2022 he paid 754.120,82 euros, and in 2023 716.699,00 euros.
"Which amounts to a total of 2.456.163,00 euros," the Higher Court in Bijelo Polje said.
The Trial Chamber then cites payments made in the same time period: in the first year he was paid 2.626, in the second 281,80, and in 2019 26.664,63 euros.
In 2020, he collected 94.912,36, a year later 388.882,37, in 2022 he was paid 373.892,46, and in 2023: 279.676,44 euros.
"Which makes a total of 1.666.936,06 euros."
The judges then cite a letter from the headquarters of a bank in Podgorica, from which it emerges that the defendant, in the period from January 1, 2017 to January 23, 2024, transferred funds from his business accounts to his private account - in the amount of 502.511,42 euros, or in the amount of 38.320,53 euros.
"It also follows from the same letter that during the aforementioned period, the named person transferred funds from his private account number 540 euros... to his business accounts, as follows: to business account number... funds in the amount of 196.484,50 euros, to business account number... funds in the amount of 392.262,55 euros and to business account number... funds in the amount of 2,00 euros. Grounded suspicion is the basic prerequisite for ordering detention of a person, while the fact of whether the defendant actually committed the criminal offense he is charged with will be determined in the further course of the criminal proceedings," the court text states.
Two million in damage
On the last day of March, the Police Directorate informed the public that Batko had been deprived of his liberty because, acting as a public bailiff, he was transferring money to settle creditors, instead of to the legal recipients, to his own account, as well as to the accounts of persons connected to the organizers of games of chance.
As announced, he thereby caused damage to the budget and citizens of Montenegro in the total amount of 2.052.527 euros.
"Officers of the Crime Prevention Sector - Department for Combating Corruption, Economic Crime, Financial Investigations and Suppression of Environmental Crime, after months of activities, today deprived the former public bailiff VB (42) of his liberty and filed a criminal complaint against him with the Higher State Prosecutor's Office in Bijelo Polje on suspicion that he committed the criminal offense of abuse of official position over an extended period of time," the Police Directorate said in a statement at the time.
They explained that the suspect continuously, from 2017 to 2024, illegally misappropriated funds entrusted to him in his work, thereby acting directly contrary to the imperative provisions of the Law on Enforcement and Security.
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Detention extended to prevent escape
The Higher Court in Bijelo Polje has ruled that there are still grounds for Vladan Batak's detention due to the risk of flight.
The court states that the defendant is charged with a criminal offense for which, if found guilty, he may be sentenced to two to 12 years in prison.
As additional circumstances, the court considered that Batak is not employed, is not married and, as stated, does not have particularly strong ties that would bind him to his place of residence.
The Council also pointed to his connections abroad, the fact that he was born in Sarajevo, as well as the fact that he crossed the state border on several occasions during 2024.
The court concluded that, if he were released, he could flee or go into hiding, which would hinder the conduct of criminal proceedings.
At the same time, the panel did not accept the position that the detention should be extended due to the "particularly serious circumstances of the crime", stating that the amount of the alleged benefit of 2.456.163 euros alone does not constitute a special basis for detention.
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