Court Delays Final Statements in Major Drug Trafficking Case

The court proceedings against Radoje Zvicer, a key figure in a criminal group accused of trafficking 743 kilograms of cocaine from South America, have been postponed. The final statements were originally scheduled for today but have been delayed until tomorrow upon request from the defense team. This decision follows the presentation of new evidence by Special Prosecutor Zoran Vucinic, which the defense claims requires additional preparation time.

During the hearing, Prosecutor Vucinic outlined new circumstances related to the case, prompting defense attorney Nikola Ivanovic to argue that they could not adequately respond without reviewing these new allegations. “In today’s closing statement, the prosecutor mentioned new facts that the defense must examine in detail,” Ivanovic stated. The presiding judge, Sonja Kekovic, granted the defense’s request for an extension.

Before this decision, the court rejected several defense motions, including a request to summon a French translator due to discrepancies in translated statements. The court also dismissed a proposal to suspend proceedings until the extradition of defendant Dragan Knezevic from France is completed.

The prosecution’s case hinges on communications obtained from the SKY messaging application, which allegedly link the accused to the cocaine shipment. Vucinic highlighted that Knezevic had shared a list of cocaine quantities in a group chat, suggesting that the defendants were in communication about the seized shipment from Colombia. Furthermore, Zvicer reportedly claimed to have personally financed €340,000 for the cocaine.

According to the prosecution, the list was authored by Zvicer, who instructed Knezevic, “I write, you remember.” Defense attorney Marko Radovic countered that the prosecutor referenced communications that had not been formally submitted as evidence. “The prosecutor referred to a PIN from the SKY application that is already part of this case, but it is also involved in another proceeding. We proposed consolidating the cases,” Radovic explained.

Earlier, the High Court in Podgorica confirmed charges against Igor Bozovic, who, alongside Zvicer, Slobodan Kacelan, Milan Vujotic, and Knezevic, is implicated in the trafficking of cocaine seized in Rotterdam in March 2020. As the trial continues, the implications of these developments resonate beyond the courtroom, highlighting the ongoing challenges in combating international drug trafficking networks.