Court Denies Request to Exclude Witness Testimonies in Lakic Case

The court has rejected a motion from attorney Marko Radovic to exclude the testimonies of witnesses Olivera Lakic, a former journalist, and Milorad Zizic, the former head of the Department for the Suppression of Serious Crimes. The testimonies were given during an investigation into an attack on Lakic that occurred in May 2018.

Judge Radovan Vlaovic clarified that, under current law, there was no requirement to transcribe the contents of a CD containing the recorded statements. The court noted that an official record of the hearing had already been prepared, thus rendering the request for exclusion invalid. The ongoing trial not only addresses the attack on Lakic but also examines the murder of Miodrag Kruscic, which took place shortly thereafter on May 21, 2018.

During the proceedings, witness Ivan Vlaovic recounted his experience on the night of Lakic’s shooting. He stated that he was dining at the Gurman restaurant and heard what sounded like a firecracker. Limited by the dimly lit environment, he only saw a silhouette of a person he estimated to be no taller than 170 centimeters. Vlaovic also mentioned that the individual appeared to flee towards the direction of Alpe Bar.

Another witness, Milonja Djurovic, confirmed that he had rented an apartment to the accused, Goran Rakocevic, starting in January 2017. Rakocevic acknowledged this arrangement during his testimony. Similarly, witness Mladen Perovic discussed renting an apartment to another accused individual, Luka Bulatovic. Perovic indicated that Bulatovic had expressed a desire for independence and was regularly paying rent while pursuing a career in the automotive industry.

Aside from these testimonies, police officer Goran Tripunovic provided details about a traffic stop involving the now-deceased Filip Knezevic. Tripunovic recounted that Knezevic presented his passport while carrying a small travel bag. He subsequently questioned the taxi driver about Knezevic’s destination.

Witness Nikola Vojvodic reported that he had rented an apartment to a woman named Sanja Bozovic through the agency “U stan za dan.” He noted that Bozovic had been accompanied by a man whose last name was later identified as Rajkovic. Another witness, Nikola Radosevic, elaborated on a potential rental to Knezevic, stating that although he had shown interest in an apartment, he ultimately did not proceed with the rental.

The next court hearing is scheduled for Monday, December 18, 2023, where additional witnesses, including Zizic, are expected to testify.

The prosecution, led by the Special State Prosecutor’s Office, has charged several individuals, including Milan Vujotic, Goran Rakocevic, and Filip Besovic, among others. They face serious allegations related to the attack on Lakic and the murder of Kruscic. Moreover, they are implicated in drug trafficking involving the smuggling of 554 kilograms of marijuana from Albania into Montenegro on January 26, 2021.

The defendants face multiple serious charges, including the establishment of a criminal organization, premeditated murder, incitement to murder, illegal possession of firearms, and unauthorized production and trafficking of drugs.