Obrenić: Had the prosecutor not threatened to arrest my mother, I would have retracted all my statements
If the prosecutor Siniša Milić had not threatened to arrest my mother, I would have retracted all my statements. This was stated today before the High Court in Podgorica by Ratomir Obrenić, one of the defendants accused of allegedly being a member of a cigarette-smuggling group.
In the case before the High Court in Podgorica, the defendants include, in addition to Obrenić, Tehnomax owner Vesko Petranović, Dejan Jokić, Zoran Đukanović, Golub Vojinović, businessman Aleksandar Mijajlović, and police officers Milenko Mića Rabrenović, Dragan Backović, Mirko Mijušković and Radoje Rabrenović.
The indictment also includes police officers Marko Đurišić, Dražen Vukadinović and Davor Lukačević, as well as Branko Čelić, Jovan Miletić, Marinko Koprivica, Dušan Vukadinović and Dražen Vukadinović.
Before the court, Obrenić testified that the statement he gave to the Special State Prosecutor’s Office (SSPO) had been made under pressure from prosecutor Siniša Milić, who is representing the indictment in the case.
- During the questioning, the prosecutor presented photographs and images and asked me to confirm them. He guided my answers and insisted that I confirm absolutely everything. When, at the beginning of the interview, I said that I did not know the defendants, the prosecutor told me: „This is not what we agreed on“, referring to a conversation we had previously had at the Special Police Department (SPD). I would have retracted all my statements had the prosecutor not threatened to arrest my mother - Obrenić told the court.
„Effectively a privileged witness because she works for the prosecutor“
At today’s hearing, the first witness to testify was SSPO court recorder Radmila Filipović. She stated that the questioning had been conducted in accordance with standard procedures.
- The prosecutor informed the suspect that he would wait for his lawyer before proceeding with the questioning, but the suspect (Obrenić) was adamant that he did not want legal counsel present - Filipović said.
At a previous hearing, the defence had already challenged the fact that Obrenić’s questioning at the SSPO began without a lawyer present, despite the fact that his family had retained attorney Mirko Bošković to represent him.
Obrenić’s defence lawyer, Miloš Vuksanović, challenged Filipović’s testimony.
- Although the record of the questioning clearly shows that events did not unfold in the manner described by the witness, this is not unusual given that she is effectively a privileged witness, since she is employed by Prosecutor Milić at the SSPO. This makes her testimony biased and it should not be accepted as entirely credible - Vuksanović argued.
The defence attorney also requested that Obrenić’s statement given before the SSPO be excluded as inadmissible evidence. However, the panel of the High Court, chaired by Judge Boris Bulatović, rejected the request.
Vuksanović said he was disappointed by the court’s decision.
The trial is scheduled to continue on July 10.