Herceg Novi Declared First Demilitarized City in Montenegro

Nikola Janičić, a former member of the Sector for the Fight Against Organized Crime, announced today that Herceg Novi is the first city in Montenegro to be completely demilitarized from the notorious Kavački and Škaljarski criminal clans. This statement was made during his testimony at the High Court in Podgorica, as part of an ongoing trial against former Special Prosecutor Milivoje Katnić, former police official Zoran Lazović, and suspended prosecutor Saša Čađenović.

During his testimony, Janičić detailed his experiences while working in the Sector for the Fight Against Organized Crime, highlighting the prosecution of several individuals associated with the two criminal clans. He noted that during operations, numerous arrests were made, including the leaders of the Budva and Nikšić branches of the Kavački clan, Vasilije Rafailović and Radovan Mujović, respectively.

“During the ‘Cover Me’ operation, we processed over 20 individuals,” Janičić explained, adding that they secured two cooperating witnesses in the process. He also referenced significant cases such as “Pruga,” which involved a murder attempt on a member of the Škaljarski clan, Igor Krstović. Janičić asserted that there was no discrimination in who was prosecuted; all actions were based solely on the evidence available.

On the subject of potential assassinations, Janičić revealed that he received information from a suspended officer of the National Security Agency, Petar Lazović, regarding a planned murder of a prominent member of the Kavački clan, Slobodan Kašćelan. He stated that he had informed his superiors about this intelligence.

Testimony and Recollections

Another witness, retired prosecutor Mira Samardžić, testified today but struggled to recall specific details related to her previous cases. She expressed that given the time elapsed since the cases were active, she needed reminders from the prosecutor, Miloš Šoškić, during her testimony.

Samardžić admitted her memory was particularly hazy regarding cases involving Ivan Milović and Ljubo Milović. She confirmed that she did not recall the initiation of secret surveillance measures against them or other related testimonies. She was unequivocal in stating that Katnić had never pressured her and characterized their relationship as collegial.

Katnić, who served as the chief special prosecutor from 2015 until his retirement in February 2022, did not attend Samardžić’s testimony. His attorney, Ljubomir Raković, later stated he would not pose questions to her due to the lack of evidence provided to the defense. This absence of documentation has led to Katnić filing a criminal complaint against Šoškić.

Raković explained that he had formally requested evidence from the current chief special prosecutor, Vladimir Novović, and the Supreme State Prosecutor Milorad Marković on September 25, but had yet to receive any materials. He argued that this deficiency placed the defense at a significant disadvantage.

Allegations Against Former Officials

The prosecution has alleged that Katnić, Lazović, and Čađenović abused their positions to benefit individuals associated with the Kavački clan. Lazović faces accusations of facilitating the entry of Belgrade criminals Veljko Belivuk and Marko Miljković into Montenegro without restrictions in late 2020 and early 2021. He is also accused of shielding Duško Roganović, a member of the Kavački group, by instructing prosecutors to exclude him from criminal cases.

The trial is set to continue on December 24, 2023, with further testimonies expected from prosecutor Sanja Jovićević and police officer Zdravko Mirović. As the proceedings unfold, the implications for Montenegro’s ongoing battle against organized crime remain significant.