Today, Special State Prosecutor Tanja Čolan Deretić presented her closing arguments at the Higher Court in Podgorica regarding the “Envelope” case, advocating for prison sentences for Duško Knežević, Slavoljub Migo Stijepović, and all other defendants involved.

In contrast, the defense called for acquittal, labeling the trial as a farce.

“I completely stand by the claims in the indictment and contend that the material and personal evidence has proven that the accused committed the criminal offenses they are charged with. Thus, I request that the accused be found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment in accordance with the law,” emphasized the prosecutor.

The defense maintains that the indictment lacks merit and asserts that the court’s task in these proceedings is straightforward as the defendants deserve to be acquitted.

Knežević’s attorney, Dražen Medojević, remarked that the SDT filed the indictment to avoid interfering in the political campaign against Knežević.

“This is a farce. I believe the SDT has known since the indictment was filed that there are no signs of a criminal organization or money laundering. They have unjustly associated Knežević and Stijepović with a criminal organization to evade addressing the serious issue of the political campaign against businessman Knežević and to sidestep the urgent matter of political party financing,” Medojević cautioned.

Lawyer Dušan Radosavljević, also representing Knežević, pointed out that this indictment should never have been brought forward as it, like others against the president of the Atlas Group, aims to tarnish his reputation.

“There are insufficient witnesses or material evidence for this case. The only reasonable outcome is an acquittal for all defendants. Knežević funded the DPS for a lengthy period, and upon his decision to cease, his political persecution commenced,” Radosavljević stated.

He added that the indictment was authored by prosecutor Lidija Vukčević under the direction of former chief special prosecutor Milivoj Katnić.

“It is critical to remember that Katnić, who is now charged with serious offenses, initiated the persecution of Knežević. All indictments during his tenure must be reviewed independently,” he cautioned.

“Knežević provided a truthful defense and is now reaping the consequences of financing the DPS. Given all the evidence presented, it is apparent this is a fabricated process aimed solely at diminishing the man who supported the previous regime,” Radosavljević elaborated.

Attorney Andrijana Razić indicated that seven individuals are being charged with participation in a criminal organization and money laundering, yet the prosecutor failed to clarify the charges.

“The prosecutor did not support the allegations in the indictment with a single piece of evidence. This is outrageous and demonstrates that this accusation is legally unfounded, made with a clear intent to prosecute our client at any cost,” Razić asserted. She stressed that this indictment should never have been approved.

“This is a nonsensical legal fabrication, and I believe the court will encounter no hesitation regarding its decision. I anticipate a verdict of acquittal for both our client and the other defendants,” Razić is confident.

The attorney representing accused Živko Šljivančanin, Nikola Martinović, expressed that the indictment reveals the prosecution’s superficial approach.

“According to the same allegations, Šljivančanin supposedly became a member of a ‘criminal organization’ in 2016 and committed merely one act. There is no conceivable chance he is part of anything criminal, as there are no supporting elements for such a claim. The SDT should recognize that penalties for conversion only apply to legal entities and in misdemeanor cases,” Martinović stated.

The closing arguments will continue at the hearing on March 18th.

The indictment claims that Knežević, after his associates converted $110,000 into euros, gave Stijepović “only” €47,500. Along with Knežević and Stijepović, his associates and friends Branislav Todorović, Živko Šljivančanin, Tamara Krdžić, Goran Grujović, and Tomica Knežević are also accused.

The indictment alleges that in the latter half of 2010, Knežević established a criminal group whose members were tasked with withdrawing funds obtained from illegal practices of various companies and subsequently delivering them to him for legal circulation.

Under the first count of the indictment, Knežević faces the charge of forming a criminal organization as detailed in Article 401a, paragraph 1, in conjunction with paragraph 6 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro. Moreover, the defendants Knežević, Todorović, Šljivančanin, Grujović, and Krdžić are charged under Article 401a, paragraph 2, in conjunction with paragraphs 1 and 6 of the same code.

Under the second count, these defendants, alongside Stijepović as co-perpetrators, are charged with money laundering as outlined in Article 268, paragraph 3, in conjunction with paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro.

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