The Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) filed a case against former Minister of Justice Zoran Pažin, former chief special prosecutor Milivoj Katnić and his then deputy Saša Čađenović for the criminal offense of illegal influence. A case was also opened against Katnić and Čađenović for a prolonged criminal offense - abuse of official position.
The cases were formed on the occasion of a text published on the "IN4S" portal on March 27, 2022, with the title: "Knežević and Mandić: False trials were carried out by Pažin, Katnić and Čađenović".
The leaders of the former Democratic Front (DF) Andrija Mandić and Milan Knežević claimed in that text that Pažin, Katnić and Čađenović pressured the former agent of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Joseph Assad and his lawyer Tobi Cadman to accuse the leaders of the former DF for organizing a coup on October 16, 2016, on the day of parliamentary elections in Montenegro.
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Knežević announced today that cases have been opened at the SDT. At a press conference in the Parliament of Montenegro, he said that special prosecutor Vukas Radonjić informed lawyer Dušan Radosavljević about this on October 22, who requested information on September 25.
"All that Mandić and I have been claiming for years about the role of Pažin, Katnić and Čađenović, to accuse us in a monstrously staged indictment of a 'coup d'état' and to give us final judgments in order to gain the presumptions to ban our political groups - proved to be true through SDT's answer. Katnić, Čađenović, Pažin and, according to our information, (former Minister of Foreign Affairs) Srđan Darmanović, abusing their official position, spoke with Kedmen and delivered 19 questions and 19 answers to him in Čađenović's office in order to 'protect' him and his family from further prosecution me," Knezevic said.
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He said that, "after Assad refused to falsely accuse" the DF leaders, an investigation order was issued against that former CIA agent, other former agents of that agency, Mossad and MI6, and that "red" Interpol notices were issued. warrants that are still valid. He claims that, after the changes that took place in SDT 2022, a prosecutor found a file called "skart" in Čađenović's office and in it he found alleged questions and answers for Cadmen.
"Kedmen claims that Pažin interrogated him several times in Villa Gorica, harassed him and asked him to act on the demands of Katnić and Čađenović. According to our information, Kedmen was at the SDT a few months ago and gave a statement regarding this case. We believe that enough time has passed that we need to get clear information, because Mandić, (DF leader's driver) Mihailo Čađenović and I are injured in this case Tuesday to gain insight into the case files," he added.
When asked by the journalist what was the alleged role of Srđan Darmanović in this case, Knežević replied that Kedmen's testimony states that the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, "in the State Department, tried in every way to convince Assad through his lawyers and people who are in the State Department, to do what SDT, that is, Katnić and Čađenović, asks of him".
Andrija Mandić told the press that his party and Knežević's party were "the biggest political victims and victims of the former regime". He stated that today in the security sector, the prosecutor's office and the entire judiciary, there are many "backward members" of the organized criminal group, which he associates with the former government.
"We have a dangerous structure that deforms not only our political life, but the overall life in Montenegro," he said.
Mandić said that the new cases formed by the SDT are "a test for the rule of law".
"On this issue, nothing has been done for two years. Our people and all citizens expect and demand justice guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of Montenegro. In the fight for freedom, we as a generation are very happy that we managed to replace one government. Democracy and freedom are conquered, and that process can be faster if we all do our job. As the biggest victims of the former regime, we call on those who apply the laws to do it faster and more efficiently," he said.
Mandić, Knežević and the others were acquitted at the beginning of July of the charges in the case known as "coup d'état", i.e. - attempted terrorism on election day 2016.
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The verdict was pronounced by the panel of the High Court in Podgorica headed by judge Zoran Radović. In explaining the verdict, he stated that of all the weapons, only two "lenovo" mobile phones were brought into Montenegro. The judge also said that the accusations of the indictment that the cooperating witness Saša Sinđelić entered Moscow and that he met with the organizer of the criminal organization, Eduard Šišmakov, were not proven.
This is a repeated procedure, after the first verdict sentenced all the suspects, including Mandić and Knežević, to a total of 70 years in prison. That verdict was overturned three years ago in the Court of Appeal and a retrial was ordered.
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