Koprivica: They searched my house and yard three times and nothing was found, not even traces of digging

Sky communications and photographs of large sums of money were examined before the High Court in Podgorica today in the proceedings against former police officer Duško Koprivica, his wife Radosava and son Strahinja Koprivica, as well as Duško Roganović, who is being tried in absentia, on charges of laundering at least 964.850 euros.

The presentation of the Sky communication concluded the evidentiary proceedings, and Judge Nikola Boričić scheduled closing arguments for July 24th.

During the hearing, photographs of the money were reviewed and audio and text messages were played that the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) claims originated from communication between Roganović and Strahinja Koprivica.

The SDT's position is that the users of the Sky application were identified as Duško Roganović and Strahinja Koprivica, and prosecutor Tanja Čolan Deretić said that the content of the messages indicates that Roganović spoke about the way he requested the money to be transferred, as well as where to hide it.

According to her, it also appears from the communication that Roganović is discussing with Strahinja Koprivica the business he does, how he makes money, how he accumulates it, hides it and transfers it.

"Through this communication, which took place between Duško Roganović and Strahinja Koprivica, it emerges that Duško Roganović talks to Strahinja Koprivica about the 'business' he does and how he makes money. He talks about the amount of money he has and how it should be 'enlarged' and hidden, as well as how to transfer that money and why," the prosecutor said.

She also stated that Duško and Radosava Koprivica knew that Roganović was on the run.

One of the audio messages that SDT claims was sent by Roganović mentions Milan Kankaraš, a witness in the trial for the murder of Šćepan Roganović in Herceg Novi, in which a first-instance verdict was recently reached. Kankaraš was heard in that case under special protection measures and without the presence of the public.

In the communication presented by the prosecution as the Sky correspondence, Roganović can be heard, according to the SDT, stating: "How can he be a witness against me? He participated in the murder of Šćep," Roganović says in the message he sends.

The defense continued to challenge the authenticity of Sky Communications, as well as the manner in which its alleged users were identified.

Lawyer Matija Bulatović said that monitoring measures should be implemented first, and then the identity of the user should be established, stating that with Sky Communication the opposite was done - that the material was obtained first, and the identity of the persons who allegedly used the application was subsequently established.

He pointed out that there was no evidence that Duško and Radosava Koprivica knew about the money, recalling the message stating that "dad and mom must not know anything."

Lawyer Miloš Vuksanović reiterated that the defense requested an expert opinion due to doubts about the authenticity of the Sky communication and the method of identifying the user.

"I think we will enter into serious lawlessness and that the prosecution has not established without a doubt who the owner of the phone was. We must have the ability to verify everything that is claimed," said Vuksanović.

Defendant Duško Koprivica reiterated that he never used an encrypted phone or the Sky application, and that there is no evidence that he was in Belgrade, took money from a person named Sara, and then transferred it to Montenegro.

"I am pointing out what I am accused of, which concerns going to Belgrade, taking money from Sara. I have been to Serbia about 40 times, but there is no evidence that I was in Belgrade, that I took money from Sara, nor that I transferred that same money to Montenegro," said Koprivica.

He also stated that the arrest of Duško Roganović was first discussed in early April 2020, which is why, as he claims, he could not have known about these circumstances in 2019.

Referring to a photo of a jar of money shown on Sky Communications, the former police official said: "They searched my house and yard three times and nothing was found, not even traces of digging."

The SDT charges Duško Roganović, Duško Koprivica, Radosava Koprivica and Strahinja Koprivica with the continuing criminal offense of money laundering in the amount of at least 964.850 euros, allegedly committed since October 2019.