Trial in the Carbon Credits Case Rescheduled
The building housing the High Court in Podgorica, Photo: Boris Pejović
The trial continuation for the “carbon credits” case was rescheduled today at the Higher Court in Podgorica to February 13, due to the absence of two witnesses.
Judge Igor Đuričković, the president of the special panel, reported that witness Tatjana Obradović had emailed the court on January 28, indicating her inability to attend due to commitments outside Montenegro from January 30 to February _____.
Additionally, witness Dijana Zečević did not appear. Her attorney, Bojana Franović Kovačević, informed the court that Zečević had left for a previously arranged trip.
The indictment against Duško Knežević includes allegations that he, along with Predrag Dašić, Zoran Nikolić, Brankica Bašović, and Biljana Bašović, caused damage to the legal entity “Global Karbon” DOO Podgorica, and unlawfully secured benefits totaling 1 euro from various entities including “Fin Invest”, “Atlas Grupa”, RTV “Atlas”, “RT Mimoza”, “Atlas Sistem”, and “Mega Gulf Investments Holdings Limited”.
According to the indictment, documents and testimonies, including that of a cooperating witness Đorđe Đurđić, suggest that Duško Knežević organized a criminal group in 2008, continuing its activities until late 2017, which involved the other defendants and Đurđić.
The indictment further claims that the defendants deliberately prompted Biljana Bašović, the executive director of “Global Karbon”, to achieve illegal financial gains.
In December 2008, Duško Knežević made a decision to transfer 1,000,000 euros from the “Global Karbon” account at IBM Bank to the account of the non-resident legal entity “Mega Gulf Investments Holdings Limited” at Atlas Bank in Moscow, to repay a loan that had become due.
This transfer was based on a purported contract for the sale of carbon credits that never occurred. It was purported that “Mega Gulf” would purchase these credits on behalf of “Global Karbon”, which provided the justification for the financial transaction.
The funds were transferred from “Global Kartbon” to “Mega Gulf”, executed under the signature of Brankica Bašović.
The indictment also outlines loans arranged by Knežević, which involved a decision for IBM Bank to grant a loan of 500,000 euros to “Global Carbon”, secured by a deposit of 500,000 euros from “Global Carbon” that could only be accessed with the approval of IBM Bank’s founder.
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