Footage of Kruščić's murder shown, council rejects request to disqualify prosecutors

In the Podgorica Higher Court today, as part of the trial of those accused of the murder of Miodrag Kruščić and the wounding of journalist Olivera Lakić, a video recording of the murder of a Podgorica resident from May 2018 was shown.

During the evidentiary proceedings, some of the surveillance camera footage that the Special State Prosecutor's Office links to the murder of Kruščić was reviewed. Among them was a recording of the actual commission of the crime.

The court found that the footage shows a masked person with a gun running towards the injured party, shooting him at close range, and then walking away.

Footage was also reviewed, which, according to the court, shows the entry and exit of two people wearing caps from an apartment building, as well as the movement of a vehicle that the prosecution links to the incident.

After reviewing the footage, the special prosecutor announced that one of them clearly shows a person entering the building and taking off his cap, stating that, according to the prosecution, it matches the image of the accused Goran Rakočević.

Defense attorney Miloš Vuksanović and defendant Rakočević reacted when the prosecutor, speaking about the other person seen in the video, stated that the defendant was "clearing the way" for her.

Vuksanović assessed that such conclusions cannot be drawn from the video recording and that the prosecution's interpretation is unacceptable and malicious, which is why he requested the disqualification of the acting prosecutors.

After a break, the trial chamber rejected the request as unfounded, stating that accepting it would delay the presentation of evidence at today's hearing. The defense's request to disqualify the chamber, which was filed after that decision, was also rejected.

During the hearing, Rakočević made several comments about the footage shown. He said that at the time of the incident he lived in the building seen in the footage and suggested that the identities of two other people who were also recorded by the cameras be established.

The prosecution also stated that one of the recordings featured the accused Filip Bešović, who confirmed that it was him, explaining that he had come to visit Rakočević that day at his invitation.

The defendants and their defense attorneys pointed out that the footage of the vehicles that were inspected today does not show license plates or the people inside them.

Rakočević also claimed that, according to the prosecution's allegations, official notes and timestamps from the cameras, the illogical conclusion is reached that the same vehicle is in multiple locations at the same time.

The defense's special attention was drawn to a video taken near Ćemovsko polje, where, according to investigators, a burning vehicle was found after the murder. The defendants and their lawyers claimed that the video showed a woman, not a man, standing next to the taxi.

The accused Mijajlo Stojanović requested the identification of that person, stating that it is still possible to see him in the same place today.

At the end of the hearing, Rakočević again requested that the court consider terminating the detention, as well as to begin presenting evidence related to the wounding of journalist Olivera Lakić, stating that the defendants want to contribute to establishing the truth.

The indictment includes Milan Vujotic, Darko Lalovic, Filip Knezevic, Mario Milosevic, Goran Rakocevic, Veselin Bubanja, Filip Besovic, Luka Bulatovic, Dejan Vukasinovic, Branislav Karadzic, Goran Vukcevic, Mijajlo Stojanovic, Aleksandar Ljumovic and Sanja Bozovic.

The direct perpetrator of Kruščić's murder was identified as Mario Milošević, whom the prosecution charges with killing a Podgorica resident on May 21, 2018, while he was sitting in a restaurant at the Old Airport.