The trial of Slavko Stojanović, the former director of the Police Administration, who is facing charges for abuse of official position and illegal possession of weapons and explosives, continued today at the Higher Court in Podgorica with witness testimonies.

Police officers Nenad Šuškavčević and Boško Raspopović testified that truck driver Igor Baćović informed them that he was transporting approximately 120 packs of cigarettes in his vehicle.

Officer Šuškavčević recounted that in 2018, the Duty Service dispatched him to Zeta, specifically to Ljajkovići, due to an ongoing cigarette transshipment operation.

“The incident occurred near an old abandoned house, not far from the ‘Kod Crnogorca’ tavern. Driver Baćović mentioned he had beer cans in one section of the truck and cigarettes in another. Baćović hesitated to disclose his destination or recipient. We promptly alerted the emergency services,” testified Šuškavčević.

He noted that Baćović communicated he had between 100 and 120 packs of cigarettes in the truck, indicating that if the note states around 120, then it must be accurate.

He acknowledged that considerable time has passed since the event occurred.

When queried by lawyer Miroslav Adžić, he stated it was conceivable that the truck driver had mentioned having between 100 and 120 packs of cigarettes.

Officer Raspopović confirmed that the truck driver indicated having approximately 120 packs of cigarettes in his vehicle.

During the trial in November 2024, witness Igor Baćović recounted that in 2018, a stranger hired him to transport a load of cigarettes from Zeta to a private garage located in the Podgorica settlement of Zlatica.

“I was transporting beer from Nikšić to Zeta, specifically to a shop on the boulevard, which I believe is now closed. After unloading the beer, I loaded empty packaging meant for return to the ‘Trebjesa’ brewery. I then took a break at a gas station with a colleague. While there, a man approached me asking if I could transport some goods from Zeta to Zlatica. I inquired about the goods, and he confirmed they were cigarettes, assuring me he had the necessary documentation. I agreed,” Baćović explained at the time.

He elaborated that afterward, he drove to a location in Zeta behind a restaurant where, to the best of his memory, loading was conducted manually by one individual.

“While they loaded, I was occupied with a game on my mobile phone in the truck. I had no knowledge regarding the origin of the cigarettes at the location. Approximately 15 to 20 minutes after I entered the truck, police arrived, removed me from the vehicle, checked my ID, and confiscated my phone. I then noticed that no one was around the truck, and a certain quantity of cigarette packets had been loaded into the cargo area,” witness Baćović stated in 2024.

When questioned by the police about the ownership of the goods, he replied that he was unaware and that the individual who loaded them had vanished.

“The man seemingly ‘disappeared.’ I believe he noticed the police arrival before I did,” Baćović explained, responding to inquiries from the court and defense.

In his defense at the trial held in mid-September, Stojanović confessed to guilt regarding the offense of abuse of official position, specifically concerning the smuggling of cigarettes discovered in the truck, but he denied guilt for the illegal possession of a firearm.

Stojanović is charged with abuse of official position and illegal possession of weapons and explosive materials.

The prosecution suspects he caused a loss of €112,504 to state finances by misusing his official capacity.

“The evidence gathered during the investigation provides reasonable grounds to suspect that the defendant, on March 31, 2018, in Podgorica, as a public official, unlawfully abused his position for personal gain, causing damage to another party, with the material gain exceeding €30,000. As the director of the Police Administration of Montenegro, he was aware that his friend’s truck, which was carrying cigarettes without proper documentation, was stopped. In an attempt to prevent the police from conducting necessary procedures and seizing evidence, he allegedly ordered the police to allow the driver to proceed with the truck carrying cigarettes,” stated Vukas Radonjić, a representative of the Special State Prosecutor’s Office (SDT).

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