Miloš's supporters are still being investigated: So far, there are no indictments against Mučalica and Laković

The Basic State Prosecutor's Office is still investigating the case involving the Podgorica resident. Nemanja Mucalica i Sasa Lakovic, who are suspected of being convicted in the first instance Miloš Medenica helped him escape before the verdict was pronounced at the Higher Court in Podgorica.

In its response to "Vijesti", the prosecution did not provide further details about the proceedings initiated at the end of April this year against Mučalica and Laković.

"Regarding your questions, we inform you that the case is under investigation. The acting state prosecutor is taking all measures and actions provided for by law, and in order to protect the interests of the procedure, it is not possible to provide further details at this time," the Basic State Prosecutor's Office in Podgorica wrote in its response.

Two friends of fugitive Miloš Medenica are charged with helping him violate a restraining order against leaving his apartment, which was imposed on him in October last year after he was released from custody in Supca, because the legal three-year deadline for filing an indictment without a court verdict had expired.

Mučalica and Laković were arrested on April 30th by order of the Podgorica ODT, and after being detained for 72 hours, they were released after being questioned by the investigating judge of the Basic Court in Podgorica.

Laković is suspected of allowing Medenica to sleep over at his house on January 27, the night before the verdict was pronounced.

In the criminal report, the police stated their suspicions that Mučalica helped Medenica a day later, when his first-instance verdict was scheduled to be pronounced at 14 p.m., namely that he drove him from Zagoriče to Radovče by car.

Mučalica told the prosecution that he knew Medenica from the settlement, but that they had never hung out much, and that on that day he showed up with a suitcase in front of his house and asked to be moved. He claimed that he did not know that he had violated the order to leave the apartment and that the first-instance decision should have been announced to him on that day.

After an investigation was launched against two Podgorica residents, an authentic or AI-generated character of Miloš Medenica posted a video online and claimed that Laković and Mučalica had nothing to do with his escape.

Minister of Interior Affairs Danilo Šaranović He stated in the Parliament that the police know where Miloš Medenica was and who helped him during his escape on January 27 and 28, since when he has been inaccessible to state authorities.

Miloš Medenica was sentenced to a single sentence of 10 years and two months in prison by the first-instance verdict of the Higher Court in Podgorica for creating a criminal organization that was involved in cigarette smuggling and drug trafficking, as well as for two criminal offenses of unlawful influence through aiding and abetting.

In addition to the prison sentence, the court also imposed a fine of 50.000 euros on him, and he is obliged, together with the other convicts, to jointly compensate the Montenegrin budget for damage in the amount of over 2,7 million euros.

His mother Vesna Medenica, the former president of the Supreme Court, was sentenced to a decade in prison for unlawful influence, accepting bribes and influencing judicial decisions. She was acquitted of charges that she was a member of her son's criminal organization.

Due to escape, UP seeks amendments to the Criminal Code

After the escape of Miloš Medenica, who has been on the run for more than half a year, the Police Directorate initiated amendments to the Criminal Code with the Ministry of Justice in order to standardize the violation of supervision measures as an independent criminal offense.

The police pointed out that the criminal offense of facilitating the escape of a person deprived of liberty under Article 394 of the Criminal Code does not imply "that the person being assisted must at that moment commit a new criminal offense, but rather that his freedom of movement has been restricted by a court decision, or that he has been ordered into custody."

The institution claims that the interpretation that the possible liability of other persons depends on whether, for example, Miloš Medenica committed a new criminal offense at that moment, but solely on the fact that he was ordered to be detained, which he evaded, is legally unfounded and incorrect.

Is he hiding in Croatia?

Police Directorate Director Lazar Šćepanović recently said that he had no information that fugitive Miloš Medenica was hiding in Croatia, stating that he had personally contacted the police there after some media reported that he had been convicted in the first instance allegedly on Korčula.

"I have directly contacted law enforcement representatives and so far we have no information that this person is on the territory of Croatia," said Šćepanović.