Šuković did not appear to testify about mobbing, the court will decide whether the head of the SPD will be a witness or a defendant

The head of the Special Police Department Predrag Šuković, as well as his colleagues Vukosav Jovanović and Veselin Zindović, did not appear before the Basic Court where they were supposed to be heard as witnesses in the case brought by suspended SPD officer Goran Mitrović, who sued the Ministry of Interior for mobbing.

The explanation submitted to the court by Šuković and his colleagues was that they were unable to attend the hearing due to work obligations.

One of Mitrović’s legal representatives, attorney Velibor Marković, requested that, in addition to the Ministry of Interior, Predrag Šuković should also have the status of a defendant.

Marković referred to practice and examples where, in addition to the „employer“, the alleged mobber is also named in the lawsuit.

- In any case, this would not constitute an expansion of the lawsuit to other persons, but rather the proper designation of the defendant as both the employer and the mobber - Marković said.

Judge Nina Ojdanić, however, considers this to be an expansion of the lawsuit and stated that she is obliged to forward it to Šuković for a response. The court will decide on attorney Marković’s proposal whether to accept it.

At today’s hearing, witness Miloš Sekulić was also heard. He was assigned to the SPD from September 2, 2022, to March 1, 2024, after which he was appointed within the Police Directorate as an independent inspector for high-level corruption and money laundering.

Sekulić stated that in December 2023, Mitrović called him and told him that he had been told „to go home“ and to return his official vehicle.

- Mitrović told me that Šuković had informed him that he could not pass the security clearance - the witness recounted details of their conversation.

According to him, he had heard that Mitrović went to see Šuković regarding such a sudden decision.

Mitrović also told him that there was no security obstacle and that he did not want to accept Šuković’s offer to become head of the Economic Crime Department, even though the condition was that, if he accepted the position, „he could arrange a positive security clearance“ for him.

The witness also stated that he was aware that Mitrović had been designated by the Minister of Interior as a contact point for the Globe network and had received an invitation to travel to Madrid, but that Šuković or another superior sent their colleague Valentina Radović instead.

Responding to Mitrović’s questions, the witness said that he told him the reason for his dismissal and removal was his work on a case.

- As far as I can recall, Mitrović told me it concerned a tender for a building in the center of Podgorica - the witness said.

Witness Sekulić also stated that Mitrović had complained to him that Šuković was ignoring him at work, that colleagues did not invite him to a celebration before the New Year 2024, and that he was the only one not sent for training for a senior police officer.

He also stated that at a joint meeting, Šuković informed them that Mitrović had been removed from the position of coordinator of the Group for High-Level Corruption and Money Laundering within the SPD, and that colleague Aleksandar Radović had taken his place.

Answering Mitrović’s questions, Sekulić said that this dismissal had been preceded by an inspection at Zetatrans.

He recalled that Mitrović told him that, while he was on sick leave, he met a colleague, a certain Joksimović, in front of a health center, who had shown interest in the Zetatrans case.

- I know that Joksimović was summoned to the SPD for questioning regarding some cigarettes at Zetatrans… I believe Zetatrans’ cameras caught him while an employee was handing him some goods over the fence, probably cigarettes, which he was loading into a car. I think Goran mentioned to me that he informed both Šuković and the Chief Special Prosecutor Vladimir Novović about this incident - Sekulić said.

As a reminder, Mitrović claims that he was subjected to mobbing, blackmail, and unlawful decisions after, as stated in his lawsuit, he obtained evidence of a rigged tender for the purchase of a building worth 8.7 million euros.

Goran Mitrović, as he states, was removed from his position precisely because he was investigating two influential businessmen.