The acquittal of the defendants in the "Envelope" affair, although a first-instance verdict, represents a new defeat for the Montenegrin judiciary, but also the best proof of the correctness of the claims of the Socialist People's Party (SNP) that we need urgent, comprehensive and radical reforms in the field of justice, announced today Slađana Kaluđerović, MP and Vice President of the SNP.
"This verdict is yet another in a series of indicators that the prosecution and judiciary have been politicized to the point that even concrete evidence is not enough to prosecute obvious corruption in Montenegro. After such a verdict, citizens cannot help but wonder whether they should trust their own eyes or the words of Slavoljub Migo Stijepović any more. Just as the electoral purchase of human souls was a slap in the face to the honorable Zeta, today's verdict clearly shows that there are more than enough reasons for serious reform in the judiciary, because the current situation cannot ensure sustainable results in the fight against corruption," Kaluđerović stressed in a statement.
She added that "although we had a textbook example of political corruption and the financing of DPS election campaigns from so-called black funds, the Special State Prosecutor's Office, headed at the time by Milivoje Katnić, compiled such an 'indictment' that resulted in a first-instance acquittal."
"This also sends an unambiguous message that any further stay of Milivoj Katnić and Vesna Medenica in the judiciary means compromising Montenegro's European integration process, and that is something we must not allow at any cost," said Kaluđerović.
By the first-instance verdict of the Higher Court in Podgorica, in the "Envelope" case, businessman Duško Knežević was acquitted of charges of creating a criminal organization and money laundering.
Former Podgorica mayor Slavoljub Stijepović (DPS), Branislav Todorović, Živko Šljivančanin, Tamara Krdžić, Goran Grujović and Tomica Knežević were also acquitted of the charges.
The first-instance verdict was reached by the panel of judge Nenad Vujanović, who read the verdict today at 11 a.m.
In his explanation of the verdict, Judge Vujanović pointed out that there is no evidence in these proceedings that the criminal offenses of creating a criminal organization and money laundering were committed, and that there is no evidence that the money originates from criminal activities.
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