FURTHER DELAYS IN HIGH-PROFILE MURDER CASE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PODGORICA 000250 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS ROME ALSO FOR DEA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KCRM CASC MW SUBJECT: FURTHER DELAYS IN HIGH-PROFILE MURDER CASE REF: A. A) PODGORICA 229 ¶B. B) 05 BELGRADE 1750 PODGORICA 00000250 001.3 OF 002 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: THE TRIAL OF THE ACCUSED IN THE 2005 MURDER OF POLICE CHIEF INSPECTOR SLAVOLJUB SCEKIC HAS BEEN DELAYED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR FOR ORGANIZED CRIME STOJANKA RADOVIC HAS STATED THAT SHE DISTRUSTS THE IMPARTIALITY OF A MEMBER OF THE JUDICIAL PANEL. SHE CLAIMS THAT JUDGE CEDOMIR JANJEVIC BOUGHT A HOUSE FROM THE MOTHER OF LJUBO VUJADINOVIC, WHO IS ACCUSED IN THE MURDER. THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR THEREFORE HAS FILED A REQUEST FOR THE REMOVAL OF JUDGE JANJEVIC, WHOM SHE CLAIMS CANNOT BE IMPARTIAL. TEN PERSONS HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF CRIMINAL ASSOCIATION AND MURDER OF SCEKIC. DURING THE INVESTIGATION AND THE PREVIOUS LEGAL PROCEEDINGS ALL OF THE ACCUSED HAVE DENIED ALL CHARGES. THE TRIAL HAS BEEN DELAYED SIX TIMES SO FAR. IT IS NOT CERTAIN HOW LONG IT MIGHT TAKE TO COMPLETE ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING LAW SUITS BEFORE THE MONTENEGRIN JUDICIARY. END SUMMARY. BACKGROUND -------------- ¶2. (U) SLAVOLJUB SCEKIC, HEAD OF THE DIRECTORATE FOR GENERAL CRIME OF THE MONTENEGRIN INTERIOR MINISTRY (MUP),WAS AMBUSHED AND SHOT DEAD IN THE EVENING OF AUGUST 30, 2005, AROUND 1 A.M. IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE IN PODGORICA. SASA BORETA, LJUBO BIGOVIC, LJUBO VUJADINOVIC, ALAN KOZAR, MILAN SCEKIC, VUK VULEVIC, RADOSAV VULEVIC, DUSICA VUKOVIC, GORAN ZIVKOVIC, AND DUSANKA VUKOVIC ARE ACCUSED OF THE MURDER AND OF CRIMINAL ASSOCIATION. MILAN SCEKIC (NO RELATION) IS ACCUSED OF MURDERING INSPECTOR SCEKIC WHILE LJUBO VUJADINOVIC IS ACCUSED OF BEING AN ACCESSORY TO THE MURDER. ACCORDING TO THE INDICTMENT, SCEKIC WAS MURDERED FOR INVESTIGATING THE BOMBING ATTACKS ON THE HOTEL "SPLENDID" IN BECICI, SUPPOSEDLY PERPETRATED BY THE CRIMINAL GROUP WITH THE VIEW OF EXTORTING EUROS 2 MILLION. BESIDES THE SPLENDID CASE, SCEKIC WAS ALSO INVESTIGATING SEVERAL HIGH PROFILE MURDERS. HE WAS BELIEVED TO BE AN HONEST POLICEMAN. TRIAL DELAYED SIX TIMES -------------- ¶3. (U) THE TRIAL, WHICH IS PENDING AT THE PODGORICA HIGH COURT, HAD BEEN DELAYED SIX TIMES SO FAR. IT HAS BEEN CHAIRED BY JUDGE LAZAR AKOVIC. THE FIRST HEARING DELAY OCCURRED ON JANUARY 22, 2007, WHEN THE TRIAL WAS POSTPONED TO MARCH 19 DUE TO THE SICKNESS OF ONE OF THE ACCUSED. THE MARCH 19 HEARING WAS ITSELF CANCELLED OWING TO THE FAILURE OF THE DEFENSE ATTORNEYS TO APPEAR. THE TRIAL RESUMED ON MARCH 26, BUT WAS QUICKLY ADJOURNED AFTER THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR FOR ORGANIZED CRIME, STOJANKA RADOVIC, ASKED FOR JUDGE LAZAR AKOVIC TO BE REMOVED. (PRESIDENT OF THE HIGH COURT IVICA STANKOVIC REFUSED HER REQUEST.) THE TRIAL WAS DELAYED A FOURTH TIME (DATE NOT KNOWN) WHEN CHIEF STATE PROSECUTOR VESNA MEDENICA REJECTED THE DEFENSE'S REQUEST THAT THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR BE EXEMPTED FROM THE CASE. THE FIFTH AND SIX TRIAL DELAYS (ON JUNE 22 AND JULY 4) WERE AGAIN DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE DEFENSE ATTORNEYS TO APPEAR IN COURT. ¶4. (U) WHEN THE TRIAL CONTINUED ON MAY 24 ALL OF THE ACCUSED (EXCEPT MILAN "CILA" SCEKIC WHO IS STILL AT LARGE) PLEADED NOT GUILTY. ACCORDING TO THE INDICTMENT RAISED BY THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR FOR ORGANIZED CRIME, SASA BORETA, LJUBO BIGOVIC, ALAN KOZAR, LJUBO VUJADINOVIC, MILAN CILA SCEKIC, VUK VULEVIC AND HIS FATHER RADOSAV, DANICA VUKOVIC, GORAN ZIVKOVIC AND DUSANKA VUJOVIC ARE CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL ASSOCIATION, FELONY MURDER, AIDING AND ABETTING AFTER THE FACT, CONNIVANCE, FORGERY, MONEY LAUNDERING, CAUSING OF A GENERAL DANGER, AND ATTEMPTED EXTORTION. MILAN "CILA" SCEKIC IS TRIED IN ABSENTIA. ACCORDING TO LOCAL LEGISLATION, THE POSSIBLE SENTENCES FOR THE MENTIONED CRIMES VARY FROM 5 TO 30 YEARS IN PRISON. B T #0250 N -- END OF ERRORED MESSAGE -- PODGORICA 00000250 002.3 OF 002 ¶5. (U) JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS WERE HELD ON JUNE 2 - 3, AND JUNE 18-19. SPECIAL PROSECUTOR DISTRUSTS JUDGE JOVANOVIC -------------- ¶6. (U) THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR FOR ORGANIZED CRIME STOJANKA RADOVIC ON JULY 19 FILED A REQUEST WITH PRESIDING JUDGE AKOVIC THAT ONE OF THE THREE PANEL JUDGES, CEDOMIR JANJEVIC, BE REMOVED FROM THE CASE. SHE CITES EVIDENCE THAT IN MAY 2005 JUDGE JANJEVIC BOUGHT A HOUSE AND LATER A PLOT OF LAND FROM MILKA BULATOVIC, MOTHER OF ACCUSED LJUBO VUJADINOVIC. THE PROSECUTORS VIEW IS THAT THE TRANSACTIONS TOOK PLACE SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS THAT CULMINATED IN SCEKIC'S MURDER. "IT ALL CREATES A JUSTIFIED SUSPICION OF THE OBJECTIVITY OF JUDGE CEDOMIR JOVANOVIC, FOR THE PURCHASING OF A HOUSE ENTAILS ESTABLISHING OF CLOSE HUMAN AND PRIVATE RELATIONS," STATED THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR. THE DECISION ABOUT WHETHER TO REMOVE JUDGE JOVANOVIC FROM THE CASE IS TO BE TAKEN BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PODGORICA HIGH COURT IVICA STANKOVIC. COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (SBU) THE TRIAL OF THOSE ACCUSED OF KILLING POLICE OFFICIAL SCEKIC, AS WELL AS THE ONGOING TRIAL OF EIGHTEEN ETHNIC ALBANIANS ACCUSED OF PLANNING TERRORIST ATTACKS IN MONTENEGRO, PROCEEDS SLOWLY. WITH THE APPROACHING SUMMER HOLIDAYS THERE IS LITTLE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE SCEKIC MURDER TRIAL WILL BE RESUMED BEFORE SEPTEMBER. HOWEVER, POST VIEWS POSITIVELY THE PROSECUTOR'S REQUEST TO REMOVE JOVANOVIC; EVEN IF HIS HOUSE PURCHASE WAS INNOCENT (A SOMEWHAT DUBIOUS ASSERTION),HE SHOULD HAVE RECUSED HIMSELF FROM THE CASE AT THE START - AVOIDING THE APPEARANCE OF IMPROPRIETY. BARNES B T #0250 N -- END OF ERRORED MESSAGE --