The reactions of the President of the State, Jakov Milatović, the Speaker of the Parliament, Andrija Mandić, the Serbian Orthodox Church, the "Augustists" and analysts and NGO representatives close to them to the arrest of former Minister Vesna Bratić clearly show their expectations that an "independent" and "liberated" judiciary and prosecutor's office will only prosecute perpetrators of criminal acts by government officials by 2020.
This was assessed by one of the representatives of the European Union, Vatroslav Belan.
"In their understanding of the fight against corruption, crime, abuse of official position, etc., for which they are allegedly dying, high-ranking government officials from 2020 to the present must be absolutely protected from investigations, arrests and 'handcuffing'. According to the principle of 'burn all, deprive our own'," he said.
Belan added that the principle of exemption includes bearers of "lithia memorials".
"...high-ranking officials who are Serbs by nationality, proven members of the Serbian Orthodox Church, especially if they are of the fairer sex, as A. Mandić said," Belan emphasized in a statement.
"I have already pointed out regarding the issue of FK Arsenal in Tivat, it is clear that the dominant part of the government at all levels is seriously mistaken that delivering results in chapters 23 and 24 does not imply control of the work of their officials and the initiation of investigative actions for their actions," he concluded.
Montenegrin President Jakov Milatović said that in other cases, persons accused of significantly more serious crimes than the crimes for which former Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Vesna Bratić was accused were released to defend themselves from prison.
Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić said that former Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Vesna Bratić was treated like a criminal.
The Diocese of Budimlje-Niksic of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) announced that they "with disgust" refuse to accept as morally and legally justified the handcuffing of a university professor and former Minister of Science, Education and Training in full view of the entire public, and then ordering her detention, "suspected of a possible mistake in her work, from which she did not obtain any benefit for herself."
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Former Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Vesna Bratić was remanded in custody for up to 30 days last night.
The decision was made by Suzana Mugoša, an investigative judge at the Higher Court in Podgorica.
Bratić was remanded in custody due to the risk of flight and influencing witnesses.
She was arrested the day before yesterday in an investigation by the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) for damage of at least 400.000 euros caused by the dismissal of more than 140 kindergarten, primary and secondary school directors.
Bratić held the position of minister for just over a year - from the first post-DPS government elected on December 4, 2020, to February 4, 2022, when she was voted out of office.
In the first half of her term, she dismissed almost all school principals in Montenegro.
While the opposition accused her of political revenge, Bratić justified her dismissals in education by depoliticizing the education system, claiming that some of the dismissed directors had abused educational institutions for political purposes.
The day before yesterday, after a hearing at the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT) in Podgorica, she was ordered to be detained, and her legal representative, attorney Mitar Šušić, told "Vijesti" that Bratić denied guilt and stated that she had dismissed directors legally.
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