Special Prosecutor Nataša Bošković has requested that the head of the Special Police Department (SPD), Predrag Šuković, immediately interrogate the accused Goran Rakočević regarding his statement during a trial at the High Court in Podgorica on January 31, in which he claimed that journalist Olivera Lakić’s life was in danger.
Rakočević, who is accused of being part of a criminal organization charged with the murder of Miodrag “Migi” Kruščić and the attempted murder of Olivera Lakić, pleaded during the trial for proceedings to start as soon as possible.
“Give us a judge who hasn’t presided over our cases before. Let this trial be fair and let it begin. This journalist’s life is in danger” Rakočević reffered to Lakić.
In a letter to Šuković, Prosecutor Bošković stated that Rakočević’s statement was not included in the official court record.
She instructed the SPD chief to obtain information from Rakočević as soon as possible regarding his claim that Lakić’s life was at risk. She reminded him that the indictment from December 2023 charges Rakočević with co-perpetration in causing grievous bodily harm to Lakić and incitement to her murder.
“Considering the content of the defendant Rakočević’s statement and the fact that he is charged under the current indictment with the criminal offenses of grievous bodily harm (Article 151, Paragraph 1, in conjunction with Article 23, Paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro) as a co-perpetrator, and incitement to murder (Article 143 in conjunction with Article 24, Paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro) against the victim Olivera Lakić, a former Vijesti journalist and now editor and journalist of Libertas Press, it is necessary to obtain information from the accused Goran Rakočević, who is currently in UIKS (prison), regarding his statement as soon as possible,” Bošković wrote in the letter.
She requested that Rakočević be specifically questioned on the circumstances under which he made the statement in open court, what facts and knowledge led him to conclude that Lakić’s life was in danger, and whether he has any information about an impending criminal act against her.
“If he does, he should disclose all direct and indirect information regarding his claims to police officers. This must be acted upon immediately,” Bošković emphasized in her letter to the SPD chief.
150.000 euros Offered for Journalist’s Murder
In addition to Rakočević, those charged for the attack on journalist Olivera Lakić on May 8, 2018, include high-ranking member of the Kavač criminal clan Milan Vujotić, as well as Filip Knežević, Filip Bešović, Luka Bulatović, and Veselin Bubanja.
According to the indictment signed by Prosecutor Bošković, Lakić was shot in front of her apartment building by Filip Knežević, who remains at large.
That night, Knežević was allegedly driven by Filip Bešović. The prosecution claims that the journalist was followed for at least a week before the attack, involving Knežević, Rakočević, Bulatović, and Bubanja.
Rakočević and Bešović are also accused of incitement to murder. According to the indictment, they later encouraged Bajram Pista to kill Lakić while they were all in prison.
The murder was prevented because Pista allegedly abandoned the plan and decided to cooperate with the police.
Pista told police that after the attack on Lakić, he was offered 150.000 euros to kill her once he was released from prison.