The panel of the High Court in Podgorica has rejected the request made by lawyer Dalibor Tomović, who represents journalist Olivera Lakić, to separate the case against those accused of her shooting from the proceedings against the defendants charged with the murder of Miodrag Kruščić.
Today, Tomović reiterated his request to separate the cases, warning that otherwise the criminal offense of grievous bodily harm inflicted on Lakić might become time-barred. He reminded the court that the charge of illegal possession and carrying of weapons—brought against Filip Knežević, who is accused of wounding Lakić—has already expired due to the statute of limitations.
Attorney Marko Radović stated he opposed the separation of the proceedings and claimed it was the first time he had heard the statute of limitations being cited as a reason. He argued that this was not recorded in any transcript of the hearings held so far. However, Tomović had already raised this concern in his initial submission to the High Court in Podgorica.
“The criminal offense of grievous bodily harm against Olivera Lakić, committed on May 8, 2018, will become absolutely time-barred on May 8, 2028—that is, in three years—in relation to five defendants: Filip Bešović, Goran Rakočević, Luka Bulatović, Filip Knežević, and Veselin Bubanja. Once the statute of limitations expires, it will be permanently impossible to prosecute the accused for this crime,” Tomović warned.
Judge Radovan Vlaović, president of the three-member judicial panel, before whom the trial of the 14-member criminal group began anew today, also rejected the request of Aleksandar Ljumović, attorney for Nikola Ivanović, to postpone the main hearing until the accused—currently in extradition detention in Bulgaria—is extradited.
“The court has no information that the extradition process has begun; we only have a decision stating that the trial will proceed in absentia,” Vlaović added.
The judge suggested that the accused begin presenting their defenses and asked them and their attorneys whether it was necessary to read the indictment again, since it had already been read in the previous proceedings before Judge Igor Đuričković, from whom Vlaović took over the case in February. Mario Milošević, who is accused of Kruščić’s murder, answered affirmatively, after which the indictment was read aloud for two hours.
After the indictment was read, Judge Vlaović adjourned the main hearing and scheduled the continuation for June 12.
As the parties were preparing to leave the courtroom, defendant Vukčević announced that he was revoking power of attorney from his defense counsel, lawyer Stefan Jokić.
“I’m letting you know now so the next hearing isn’t postponed because of me. I revoke power of attorney from Jokić and request to be assigned a court-appointed attorney,” Vukčević said.
The next hearing is scheduled for Thursday, June 12.