The lawyer for former Minister of Education Vesna Bratić - Mitar Šušić claims that the Special Prosecutor's Office (SDT) is charging his client with the illegal dismissal of eight school principals, but also for failing to prosecute another 40 heads of educational institutions.
Šušić also assessed for Television Vijesti that due to these, and numerous other illogicalities, there is no basis for Bratić to be held in custody for up to 30 days due to, as explained by Higher Court judge Suzana Mugoša, the risk of flight and influence on witnesses.
Šušić points out that Bratić is a full professor at the University of Montenegro, and that she publicly dismissed school directors several years ago, so by now, if she had wanted to, she could have influenced them. Šušić also points out that the indictment does not charge Bratić with any damage to the state budget.
"She is actually charged with dismissing eight directors even though she did not have to, and failing to dismiss 40 directors even though she could, which has never before represented abuse of official position, because abuse of official position is precisely defined in what manner, in what modalities the action can be carried out, so there must be a failure to perform official duty, therefore a failure to perform an official obligation, and not a failure to fulfill a potential opportunity that I can, but do not have to, as a minister, do dispositively. So everything is very confusing, the reasons for detention are unconvincing, I hope that somewhere the High Court Council will stop giving in to public pressure and prosecuting a minister from the new, let's say, Montenegrin governments, but will simply decide based on what is in the files," said Šušić.
When asked by a journalist from Television Vijesti how much Bratić is accused of damaging the state budget of Montenegro, Šušić said that she is not charged with any amount at all.
"So, her alleged incriminating action is only evident in the fact that she issued decisions dismissing these eight directors," he said.
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).
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.
Bratić is the president of the Political Council in United Montenegro.
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