The trial of those accused of wounding journalist Olivera Lakić and murdering Miodrag Kruščić has been postponed for the seventh consecutive time today.
According to Libertas Press, the trial was delayed because the newly appointed judge of the High Court in Podgorica, Radovan Vlaović, took over the case from his colleague Igor Đuričković and needs time to familiarize himself with the case files and evidence.
A new trial date has not yet been set, but according to unofficial information from Libertas, the trial will not begin before May.
Judge Vlaović, who worked at the Basic Court in Podgorica until a month ago before being appointed to the High Court by the Judicial Council, has also taken on the responsibility of ruling on a request made by journalist Lakić’s legal representative, lawyer Dalibor Tomović. Tomović requested that the case concerning Lakić’s wounding be separated from the trial against those accused of Kruščić’s murder.
Tomović told Libertas that a decision on his request has not yet been made.
He previously warned that if the proceedings are not separated, the statute of limitations for the criminal act of wounding journalist Lakić could expire.
The indictment against the fourteen-member criminal group, led by a high-ranking member of the Kavač criminal clan, Milan Vujotić (43), who is charged with the wounding of journalist Lakić and the murder of Kruščić, was filed on December 7, 2023.
In the seven months and 21 days since the indictment was confirmed, no trial hearings have taken place.
The indictment, filed by Special Prosecutor Nataša Bošković, includes not only Milan Vujotić but also Filip Bešović, Goran Rakočević, Luka Bulatović, Filip Knežević, and Veselin Bubanja, along with former police officer Darko Lalović, Mario Milošević, Dejan Vukašinović, Branislav Karadžić, Goran Vukčević, Mijajlo Stojanović, Aleksandar Ljumović, and Sanja Božović.
Filip Knežević, who is on the run, has been charged with shooting Olivera Lakić on May 8, 2018, in front of the entrance to her apartment building in Podgorica. She was wounded in the leg.
Mario Milošević, a fellow Podgorica resident, has been identified as the direct perpetrator of Miodrag Kruščić’s murder.
He is suspected of killing Kruščić on May 21, 2018, while the victim was sitting in a café in the Stari Aerodrom neighborhood of Podgorica.
In addition to these charges, the accused are also charged with smuggling 554 kilograms of marijuana from Albania to Montenegro on January 26, 2021.
Source: Libertas press