Defense: The evidence presented has no connection to the charges against Zoran Lazović

The trial of former Police Directorate official Zoran Lazović, former Chief Special Prosecutor Milivoj Katnić, and Special Prosecutor Saša Čađenović continued today at the Higher Court in Podgorica.

The president of the special council, Judge Veljko Radovanović, gave the SDT, or special prosecutor Miloš Šoškić, a deadline of one month to extract the Sky communication material that relates to the charges. The judge added that conducting the entire Sky material would lead to unnecessary delays in the proceedings.

The main hearing continued today with the presentation of written evidence. The court reviewed the case files related to secret surveillance measures in relation to Ljubo Millovć, as well as the case files related to the questioning of Petar Lazović in the SDT as a citizen, and related to secret surveillance measures related to the case of the preparation of the murder of Sobodan Kašćelan.

Petar Lazović told Special Prosecutor Saša Čađenović in early January 2022 that he had used the Sky app, which he said he had informed his superiors about. Prosecutor Čađenović later archived the case, explaining that there was no basis for suspicion to prosecute Lazović.

This is stated in the official note that was read today.

Special Prosecutor Miloš Šoškić pointed out that the evidence indicates that the allegations in this indictment are true. The prosecutor also referred to a Europol report from another case and pointed out that the proceedings against Milović and Petar Lazović were previously terminated without additional engagement by the prosecution to establish all the facts and circumstances. The prosecutor also referred to a statement by Petar Lazović that he had previously given to the SDT in his capacity as a citizen.

The defense believes that the prosecution's evidence presented today has no connection to the charges brought against the accused Zoran Lazović and that the impression is that others are being tried in this proceeding while Zoran Lazović is in the dock.

"As each piece of evidence from the prosecution is presented, one gets the impression that other people are being tried and our defense attorney is in the dock," warned attorney Stefan Jovanović, defense attorney for Zoran Lazović.

In his address to the court, the accused Zoran Lazović, after presenting evidence related to files from another MTN case in relation to Ljubo Milović, which were legally destroyed by the investigating judge because they did not lead to results.

"During 2017 and 2018, I was not a member of the Police Directorate. I was never informed by either the prosecution or the police that this investigation was being conducted," said Lazović.

Defendant Saša Čađenović said before the court today that he had previously stated in his defense how he acted in the case related to Petar Lazović, where he received a report from Europol and submitted to Europol a statement from the interrogation of Petar Lazović in his capacity as a citizen about the communication conducted via Sky.

He added that in this case, as in every other case, he acted in accordance with the Constitution and the Law.

He stated that every prosecutor has the right to a free prosecutorial opinion under the Constitution and the Law. He stated that he did not obtain any unlawful benefit for anyone.

"When I made my decision, the case went to the registry office, after which it was taken for review, and it was not returned to me. This means that it passed the review," he said.

Defendant Mivoje Katnić told the court why the prosecution's allegations were not true and repeated his views and claims that he had made at previous hearings. Attorney Zoran Piperović stated that the court and the prosecution do not trust Petar Lazović at all, but when he mentions his father or the court about the prosecution, they conclude that he is mentioning his father, then they trust him.

"We heard today that someone from Belgrade told Petar Lazović that the ban on Veljko Belivuk and Marko Miljković entering Montenegro had been lifted. Didn't his dad tell him that? As far as I hear, Petar Lazović is not believed in anything in these courtrooms, neither by the court nor the prosecution, except when he mentions his dad," said lawyer Piperović.