Former Police Official Denies Pressure to Exclude Individuals from Criminal Charges

A former police official, Nikola Janičić, testified on December 22, 2023, in the High Court of Podgorica that he was never pressured to exclude any individuals from criminal charges. Janičić, who previously worked in the Organized Crime Sector, spent over three hours answering questions from the accused and their lawyers during the ongoing trial of former Special Prosecutor Milivoje Katnić, former high-ranking police official Zoran Lazović, and suspended prosecutor Saša Čađenović.

During his testimony, Janičić firmly denied any requests from Lazović or any of the accused for preferential treatment regarding any member of a criminal organization, specifically mentioning Duško Roganović. He stated, “Zoran Lazović never called me to say that anyone should not be prosecuted, especially not Duško Roganović.”

Janičić elaborated that neither Lazović, Katnić, nor Čađenović sought any unfair advantages for individuals linked to organized crime. The prosecution alleges that Milko Šoškić, a special prosecutor, has implicated Lazović in forming a criminal organization that included Katnić and Čađenović, who is accused of working for the Kavački clan. Lazović is also suspected of protecting Roganović by allegedly instructing prosecutors to exclude him from criminal cases.

He stated, “I am not aware of Zoran Lazović having any connections with criminal groups, nor could we establish that from the measures of secret surveillance.” Janičić first met Lazović in June 2019 during investigations following the murder of Stefan Šarović in Herceg Novi. He noted that helicopters and experts from Danilovgrad were engaged at Lazović’s request, despite a prosecutor wanting to postpone witness questioning due to fatigue.

In his testimony, Janičić also addressed the activities of Lazović’s son, Petar Lazović, who is also facing charges related to alleged membership in the criminal group of fugitive Radoje Zvicer. He claimed that Petar Lazović brought a significant number of operational information concerning both the Kavački and Škaljarski clans to the police.

Janičić dismissed claims that prior to January 2021, when Serbian nationals Veljko Belivuk and Marko Miljković arrived in Montenegro, police had information regarding potential criminal activities involving them. He stated, “We received information about plans for their liquidation upon their arrival in Montenegro,” leading to arrests of certain individuals and the recovery of weapons and encrypted phones.

He also referenced the case of Nikola Stanišić, initially reported as a missing person but later discovered to have been murdered. “He was listed as missing until we received data from Europol. Until then, we had no evidence of his murder or the identity of the killer,” Janičić explained, adding that Čađenović had requested the police to locate all places connected to images from the encrypted messaging application, Sky.

Janičić further denied any opposition from Čađenović regarding the identification of suspects in Stanišić’s murder. “I remember we devised tactics to apprehend them by issuing summons for some local cases,” he stated, detailing how they were ultimately arrested.

The ongoing trial has seen multiple defendants linked to the murder of Stanišić, including members of the Kavački clan: Radoje Zvicer, Slobodan Kašćelan, Milan Vujotić, and others.

Originally scheduled to appear as witnesses were prosecutors Sanja Jovićević and Mira Samardžić, but their testimonies have been postponed for future hearings due to the extended duration of Janičić’s questioning.

The accused—Lazović, Katnić, and Čađenović—have all denied the allegations from the Special Prosecutor’s Office, which claims they abused their positions to benefit individuals associated with the Kavački clan. Lazović is specifically accused of lifting entry bans for criminals from Belgrade around late December 2020 and early January 2021. Katnić is also suspected of using his role in the Special State Prosecutor’s Office to prevent criminal prosecution against Radoje Zvicer and other members of that group.

With the trial continuing, it emphasizes the ongoing struggle against organized crime in Montenegro and the complex interplay between law enforcement and criminal enterprises.