Petrović: The police practically kidnapped me from the airport, I didn't talk to Lazović about the apartment

Two plainclothes police officers practically kidnapped me from the Podgorica airport while I was waiting for a flight to Belgrade. They showed me my badges and told me I had to give a statement and that it would take an hour. However, it took 26 hours, five of which my family did not know where I was, said architect Aleksandar Petrović, a witness in the trial against former senior police official Zoran Lazović, former chief special prosecutor Milivoj Katnić and suspended prosecutor Saša Čađenović.

Petrović was heard today, via video link from the Higher Court in Belgrade, before a panel of the Podgorica Higher Court presided over by Judge Veljko Radovanović.

He testified about the circumstances surrounding the furnishing of five apartments in the "Perla" building in Budva, which he said he furnished for the needs of the construction company "Bemax".

His testimony related to who hired him, who he communicated with during the furnishing of the apartments, and whether he had any contact with Lazović or his family members on this occasion.

Petrović said that he was hired for the job by the owner of "Master Inženjering" Vladan Ivanović, with whom, as he said, he has a long-standing business cooperation and friendly relationship.

"Those apartments were almost finished, all that was left was to equip the furniture, lighting, and kitchen. For four apartments, I communicated with the wives of Ranko Ubović, Aleksandar Mijajlović, and Veselin Kovačević. The fourth wife's last name was Tomčić. I met with the ladies and made an interior plan," said Petrović.

He explained that he asked Ivanovic how to furnish the fifth apartment, after which, he claims, he was told to do it at his discretion.

"He told me that Zoran Lazović might be using that apartment. I have never communicated with Lazović about that apartment. I know him at the level of 'hello' and 'goodbye'. I have seen him three or four times in my life," the witness said.

Petrović stated that he once found Lazović at lunch, in the company of Ubović, but that they did not communicate.

He also emphasized that he never discussed the apartments in "Perla" with Lazović's wife, nor with anyone from his family.

"I don't know any of the Lazović family members. We've never talked about any business," Petrović said.

During his testimony, Petrović also spoke about the manner in which he had given his previous statement. He claimed that he had an unpleasant experience with plainclothes police officers at the Podgorica airport while waiting for a flight to Belgrade.

He said they showed him his badges and told him he needed to give a statement, assuring him that it would take about an hour. Instead, he said, he was held for 26 hours.

"They took me to the police station at around 5:30 in the afternoon, and the interrogation lasted until 00:30. I slept that night in a hotel at my own expense, and my phone and laptop were taken away. I had no freedom of movement. The next day they took me to the Special State Prosecutor's Office, where I spent the whole day," Petrović said.

He also said that, after everything was over, he was told not to return to Montenegro and that he would be banned from entering the country.

"Here are your friends"

According to him, two plainclothes police officers drove him to the hotel after questioning him. As they passed the "Babi" restaurant, they saw Ranko Ubović, Aleksandar Mijajlović, lawyer Zoran Piperović and Vladan Ivanović.

"Then they told me: 'Here are your friends,'" said Petrović.

When asked by one of Lazović's defense attorneys, lawyer Zoran Piperović, the witness said that, in addition to Ivanović, his business partner and owner of the "Voli" company is Dragan Bokan.

Petrović said that he did not want to come to Podgorica and testify directly because, due to everything that happened during his previous interrogation, he felt uncomfortable and stressed.

"The reason I didn't come in person to testify is because I feel uncomfortable and scared after everything I've been through. I've never had this kind of encounter with the authorities. I lost trust because they weren't telling me the truth," the witness said.

Responding to questions from prosecutor Miloš Šoškić, Petrović said that the Special State Prosecutor's Office treated him politely and correctly during the interrogation.

"I didn't get the impression that my rights were threatened in the prosecutor's office, but I was scared because I had never had experience with interrogations. This stress is the reason why I no longer come to Montenegro," said Petrović.

Prosecutor Šoškić said after the hearing that Petrović told the Prosecutor's Office the same thing in 2024.

"The witness stated both during the investigation and at the trial that he had not spoken to Lazović about the apartment in Budva, although they had met a few times. Despite that statement, the questioning of this witness was insisted on. It is clear why, and the defense does not hide that either. Not because of the council, but because of the public," said Šoškić.

Lawyer Piperović then reacted, stating that it was the prosecutor who proposed Petrović as a witness.

"If I didn't have two grams of brains, I would think I was crazy. The prosecutor is now wondering where this witness came from, and he proposed him. And not only is he wondering, but he wants to publicly exculpate the authorities who, as he himself said, kidnapped the man," said Piperović.

He added that Petrović did not have any arranged meetings with Lazović, but that he just happened to find him in the same company.

Attorney Stefan Jovanović, also Lazović's defense attorney, assessed that neither Petrović, nor the previously heard witness Srđan Lalić, said anything that would incriminate his client.

Lazović, addressing the court, said that this was the first time he had heard that police officers had treated Petrović in such a way, but that, as he said, he recognized the same "modus operandi" that was applied to his wife.

"They asked her for the key, even though she told them we didn't have an apartment in Budva. They forced her to go to a search and threatened her with criminal charges if they found the key and she didn't go to the search," said Lazović.

Lazović, Katnić and Čađenović denied the Special State Prosecutor's Office's accusations that they abused their positions to benefit individuals from criminal structures.

The SDT charges Lazović with forming a criminal organization whose members, according to the indictment, were Katnić, Čađenović, and Lazović's son Petar, a former employee of the National Security Agency.

The elder Lazović is, among other things, associated with the lifting of the ban on entry into Montenegro for Belgrade residents Veljko Belivuk and Marko Miljković in late 2020 and early 2021.

The prosecution also suspects Katnić of using his position in the SDT to ensure that no criminal prosecution was undertaken against the leader of the Kavač clan, Radoje Zvicer, and other members of that criminal group.