Nearly three months after the violent assault on Pobjeda journalist Ana Raičković and two of her family members, the Police Internal Control Department has yet to ascertain whether their colleague, police officer Srđan Korać, was present at the incident that took place at the “Gurman” fast food restaurant in Podgorica’s Blok 5 neighborhood. Additionally, they have not determined what actions, if any, he took to prevent the violence, as reported by Libertaspress.

It has been two months and three days since Korać, while testifying for the prosecution, acknowledged being at “Gurman” that night but claimed he was unable to intervene because he was in the restroom.

“The Police Internal Control Department is conducting an internal review to ascertain all pertinent facts that influence the assessment of police officers’ actions concerning the verbal and physical assault on Pobjeda journalist Ana Raičković, which occurred outside ‘Gurman’ on November 10, 2024. You will be informed in due course about the results of this review,” replied the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) to Libertas on January 20.

Police officer Korać confirmed to Libertas that he was at “Gurman” on November 10 of the previous year, during an attack on journalist Raičković by controversial businessman Zoran-Ćoćo Bećirović, his son Luka, and bodyguards Mladen Mijatović and Ljubiša Dukić, who assaulted Raičković, her fiancé, and son.

However, he insisted that he “neither saw nor heard the incident.”

“I was in the restroom at the time. All I noticed was a crowd outside ‘Gurman,’ but I did not intervene because the police were already on the scene. I returned to my post and waited for my colleague to take my statement,” Korać explained.

Referring to the allegations in the indictment against Bećirović, Mijatović, and Dukić that inside “Gurman,” Bećirović and his bodyguard began insulting Raičković, subsequently physically assaulting her fiancé and getting into a confrontation with her child, Libertas asked Korać how he allegedly failed to hear any of the commotion and how long he had been in the restroom.

“A few minutes,” Korać responded.

The entire assault, which occurred inside “Gurman” and subsequently in the parking lot, reportedly lasted around 20 minutes, according to unofficial sources from Libertas.

While being questioned by Libertas, Korać claimed the media was targeting him, falsely accusing him of witnessing the attack on the journalist, and disseminating unverified information.

He further stated that he “wasn’t there” when Libertas first reached out to him on November 14 of last year concerning unconfirmed reports of his presence at “Gurman” during the attack.

At that time, the Police Directorate indicated they would “advise Libertas in a timely manner” about the investigation’s findings regarding Korać’s presence at “Gurman” that night and whether he acted within his police authority to safeguard Raičković and avert the conflict.

No further comments have been made by the security institution regarding this matter.

“If I am at fault, I am prepared to account to the authorities, the public, and God. I provided a statement to Internal Control. There are video recordings that can confirm precisely when I entered and exited the establishment. I am quite recognizable; they cannot confuse me for someone else,” Korać said.

He suggested that the journalist review the video surveillance, which he claims supports his narrative.

When questioned by Libertas about the availability of footage from inside the restaurant where the attack initiated, Korać stated that such recordings do not exist and that the recorded material was sourced from cameras outside “Gurman.”

“I wasn’t even on duty at that time,” Korać added.

When asked whether this implies he would not take action if witnessing a crime outside of his working hours, Korać replied:

“To take any official action, I must first identify myself. Therefore, in order to intervene in a fight, I first need to declare that I am a police officer. Had I witnessed an attack, I would have intervened.”

Korać refused to disclose which police department he belongs to, merely mentioning that he is an active police officer.

The Code of Police Ethics stipulates that “a police officer is obliged, even when off duty, to assist any person in danger on their own initiative, and to prevent or suppress actions that may disturb public order and peace, or endanger the life, integrity, and property of the community, as well as the constitutional order.”

The Code further insists that “a police officer must consistently uphold the reputation of the police service and his own reputation while respecting ethical principles in the enforcement of the law.”

“Serving the citizens may also put one’s life at risk,” the code states.

The trial for Bećirović, Mijatović, and Dukić, who are charged with violent conduct, is set to commence on Friday, January 31, at 11 a.m.

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