The trial concerning the murder of Šćepan Roganović in Herceg Novi on February 13, 2020, resumed today at the Higher Court in Podgorica. The main trial session was closed to the public to protect the identity of a witness who is under a protection order.

This witness, who is cooperating with the prosecution, has been granted protected status by the court.

The questioning of the witness was conducted under special conditions, utilizing equipment to alter both their voice and appearance for safety purposes.

“In the case against the defendant KV, the hearing was closed to the public today because a cooperating witness was being heard simultaneously. This cooperating witness was questioned with the assistance of technical devices (including a protective wall, voice modulation devices, and image and sound transmission equipment) within the premises of the Higher Court in Podgorica. The hearing took place in a specially designated room, separate from where the trial panel, defendants, and defense attorneys were located, ensuring the witness’s identity was protected through various technical means as overseen by the Expert Service of the Judicial Council. According to a communication from the Witness Protection Department of the Crime Prevention Sector, it was stated that this individual is enrolled in the Witness Protection Program and that their safety would be compromised if they testified openly in the courtroom,” explained Ivana Vukmirović, an independent public relations advisor at the Higher Court.

The next main hearing is set for April 7th.

This case involves the consolidation of two court proceedings, with the indictment naming defendants Igor Vukotić, Mili Bajramović, Krsto Vujić, Marko Radović, Igor Glavaš, Miloš Komar, Slavko Radulović, Miloš Gvozdenović, and Dino Ibrahimović. Vukotić, Bajramović, and Vujić are being tried in absentia as they are currently fugitives.

In October 2020, the Special State Prosecutor’s Office formally indicted the defendants for the murder of Šćepan Roganović.

The defendants include Krsto B. Vujić from Herceg Novi (currently at large), Mili B. Bajramović aka “Smit” from Podgorica, Igor D. Glavaš from Herceg Novi, Dino A. Ibrahimović from Bar, and Miloš B. Komar from Nikšić.

According to the indictment, in September 2019, Vujić organized a criminal organization in Herceg Novi, which included Miloš Đuričković, along with defendants Bajramović, Glavaš, Ibrahimović, Komar, and additional unidentified individuals known by the nicknames “Boki” and “Zemunac.” Vujić, as the ringleader, was responsible for executing a criminal plan associated with multiple serious murders and illegal weapon possession. Đuričković was tasked with executing the directives of the criminal organization, while the other defendants were similarly responsible for following the orders provided. The indictment alleges that Bajramović directly committed acts of aggravated murder and was involved in planning these crimes.

The indictment charges Vujić with forming a criminal organization under Article 401a paragraph 1 in conjunction with paragraph 6 of the Criminal Code of Montenegro. Meanwhile, defendants Bajramović, Glavaš, Ibrahimović, and Komar are charged under Article 401a paragraph 2 concerning paragraphs 1 and 6 of the same code.

The prosecutor asserts that to further their criminal agenda, defendants Vujić, Đuričković, and Bajramović, along with Glavaš, killed Šćepan Roganović on February 13, 2020, at approximately 9:05 a.m., on the stairs of Sima Matavulja Street, in front of house number 21 — doing so together and in premeditated agreement.

Defendants Vujić and Bajramović are jointly accused of committing aggravated murder, while Bajramović is also charged with illegal possession of weapons and explosives, and Glavaš is accused of aiding and abetting in the aggravated murder.

The second indictment, filed in September 2023, targets Igor V. Vukotić from Kotor (who is on the run), along with Slavko Radulović, Miloš Ž. Gvozdenović from Podgorica, and Marko T. Radović from Herceg Novi, whom it claims became members of Vujić’s organized crime group in late 2019 and throughout 2020.

Additionally, Radović is charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

The extra-judicial panel of the Higher Court in Podgorica has decided to merge these two criminal cases and conduct a single legal proceeding for both.

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