Jovanović: Among the assessed drinks was a bottle worth €3.20 - that says it all

The financial expert acknowledged that he did not know when the clothing he had been asked to assess had been purchased, how old it was, or apply depreciation in determining its value. This, according to the defence, means that the valuation presented in the expert report does not reflect the items' actual worth.

- The narrative of the indictment is that our client, former Assistant Director of the Police Directorate Zoran Lazović, allegedly established a criminal organisation, allegedly acquired illicit funds, and used that money to buy clothing and alcoholic beverages. Yet among the drinks assessed there is a bottle worth just €3.20. That fact speaks for itself - one of Lazović's defence attorneys, Stefan Jovanović, told the High Court.

Jovanović made the remarks following the testimony of the ballistics and financial experts.

Besides Lazović, the indictment also includes retired Chief Special Prosecutor Milivoje Katnić and suspended Special Prosecutor Saša Čađenović.

Another defence lawyer, Nikola Martinović, argued that the ballistics expert's findings had effectively undermined the prosecution's allegations of illegal weapons possession.

Martinović further said that, through the report prepared by the financial expert, the prosecution was attempting to support its claim that Lazović had allegedly laundered money by investing it in barrels, clothing and alcoholic beverages.

He added that the alcoholic drinks had been kept for household use and that most of them had been received as gifts or accumulated during family celebrations.