Jovanović: Any discussion of a criminal offense ends today, it is clear that Belivuk and Miljković were not banned from entering Montenegro

It is clear that Serbian nationals Veljko Belivuk and Marko Miljković were not banned from entering Montenegro, and any discussion of a criminal offense on that basis ends today, said the defense attorney of former high-ranking police official Zoran Lazović, lawyer Stefan Jovanović.

Jovanović made these remarks during a hearing at the High Court, following testimony given by former Deputy Director of the Police Directorate Enis Baković, who stated that no measure banning Belivuk and Miljković from entering Montenegro had been imposed.

- Any discussion of the criminal offense referred to in count two of this indictment ends today, and it should have ended at the very beginning of the proceedings, because it is clear that Belivuk and Miljković were not prohibited from entering Montenegro on the day they did so - attorney Jovanović emphasized.

In his testimony, Baković explained that in 2018 an operational measure had been imposed on Belivuk and Miljković because they were considered persons of security interest. At the end of December 2020, Baković said, he received a verbal request from Lazović to have that operational measure removed, since they were working on a case related to organized crime.

The former deputy police director stressed that they had received similar requests from partner services as well.

- I saw nothing controversial in that, nor did I have any reason to doubt its justification, and I said that we would take care of it. This also happened in other cases, and not at Lazović’s request, but at the request of partner services, to have a measure removed for a certain person so that the individual could be monitored and their activities observed while staying in Montenegro - Baković emphasized.

Responding to questions from attorney Jovanović, Baković said that his cooperation with Lazović had been entirely professional and official.

- Zoran Lazović never asked for anything illegal to be done, and if he had, it would not have been possible - Baković stressed.

In response to Lazović’s question, Baković stated that he had never had information indicating that Lazović had contacts with Radoje Zvicer or any member of an organized criminal group.

- Through my work, I am not aware that Lazović privileged any individual, nor did we receive such information from partner services - Baković said.

After Baković’s testimony, prosecutor Šoškić raised an objection, claiming that the testimony was contrary to the content of the evidence and to what Baković had stated during the investigation. Baković then asked the court whether he had the right to respond, stating that he had said the same thing before the prosecutor, but the court did not allow it, citing procedural rules.

Presiding judge Veljko Radovanović noted that witness Enis Baković had given testimony consistent with what he had stated during the prosecution’s investigation before the Special State Prosecutor’s Office (SSPO). 

Attorney Jovanović also added that, without intending to defend the witness’s statement, everything Baković said „was identical to what he stated in the previous proceedings“ when he was examined before the SSPO.

As a reminder, Lazović, former Chief Special Prosecutor Milivoje Katnić, and Special Prosecutor Saša Čađenović are on trial on charges that they subordinated their official positions to the „Kavač“ criminal group.