Šoškić requested the exclusion of the public during Pavićević’s testimony, the court rejected it

Special prosecutor Miloš Šoškić requested today, during the trial of former Chief Special Prosecutor Milivoje Katnić, former senior police official Zoran Lazović, and the suspended prosecutor Saša Čađenović at the High Court, that the public be excluded while former head of the Security Center Milovan Pavićević gives his testimony as a witness.

That request was rejected by Judge Veljko Radovanović as unfounded.

Judge Radovanović did not accept the prosecutor’s proposal that such a measure was necessary to protect confidentiality.

The proposal of prosecutor Šoškić was opposed by the defense attorneys and the defendants.

One of Lazović’s defense attorneys, Zoran Piperović, stated that it is precisely in the interest of the public, both professional and general, to hear what Pavićević has to say.

Defendant Katnić expressed the view that the prosecutor is trying to prevent the truth that Milovan Pavićević will present.

Šoškić justified the request by stating that the exclusion of the public was necessary to protect confidentiality, as Pavićević would speak about the operational work of police officers and how that work led to the identification of a cooperating witness.

For the trial panel, this request was unacceptable.