Acting Director of the Police Administration (UP), Lazar Šćepanović, claims that the police have collected all the evidence necessary to convict the seven defendants in the case of the murder of security guard Ljubiša Mrdak during a post office robbery in Nikšić.
However, they were acquitted of charges two days ago, because the indictment, according to the judge, was not solid due to shortcomings in the investigation.
Šćepanović, on the other hand, says that they did their job properly, so he is certain that the Court of Appeal will overturn this decision of the Higher Court.
"There was no room for confirming such an indictment. The court conducted the investigation at the main hearing, trying to make up for the omissions in the investigation," said Marko Radović, the lawyer for Stojan Albijanić, one of the defendants in the mail robbery and Mrdak's murder, the day before yesterday.
Judge Veljko Radovanović also took the same view on Tuesday, acquitting seven people accused of murdering security guard Ljubiša Mrdak during a post office robbery in Nikšić three and a half years ago.
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Šćepanović claims that the police did their job properly.
"During the investigation phase, material, personal, indirect, direct, derived, interconnected and logical evidence was collected that this group, or these persons with the role of co-perpetrators, committed the aforementioned criminal offense. I cannot comment on the verdict, because it is not final, nor on the indictment because I have not had access to it, but I can say that there is material evidence on the basis of which certain persons are at large today, and which are directly related to the commission of this criminal offense," said Šćepanović in an interview for the show Načisto, which will be broadcast tonight on Television Vijesti.
The investigation was led by senior prosecutor Maja Jovanović, together with Šćepanović, who was then the head of the crime branch.
He is certain that all the necessary evidence has been collected to convict Mitar Knežević, Stojan Albijanić, Nemanja Miljković, Petar Zolak, Srđan Svjetlanović, David Banjac and Stefan Regojević, and he expects this to happen in the second instance proceedings.
"I am certain that the second-instance body - the Court of Appeal - will determine the omissions, who failed to take evidence and, as you know, a free judicial opinion is one of the conditions in relation to material, presented evidence that is evaluated in court, that an impression will be gained and a conclusion will be drawn as to whether these persons committed that criminal offense. I am certain, based on reasonable suspicion, evidence, that these persons committed that criminal offense," said Šćepanović.
The family and friends of the late Mrdak do not hide their disappointment with the acquittal.
Therefore, Šćepanović expects all circumstances to be fully investigated, including who among the authorities may have acted sloppily.
"I do not recognize anyone's responsibility, nor is it my role, but all those who led to this outcome of the verdict should be held accountable," said Šćepanović.
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