Police officer Ivana Roćenović has lodged a criminal complaint against her colleague Vladan Popović, alleging that he threatened her during an informal meeting at a bar, saying he would “shed blood” if she “didn’t calm down.”

The police have reported her claims to the Basic State Prosecutor’s Office in Podgorica, which has initiated an investigation.

The Prosecutor’s Office, led by Prosecutor Duško Milanović, stated, “A case has been opened with the Basic State Prosecutor’s Office in Podgorica regarding this matter. The acting state prosecutor is undertaking all necessary legal actions, and the case is currently under investigation.”

According to a report obtained by Vijesti, Roćenović indicated that Popović summoned her for a discussion on April 8 at 6 PM.

She stated, “The subject of the conversation was meant to be the rationale for my transfer from one job to another.”

The meeting was planned for the same day at 7 PM at the “C……” venue.

Roćenović stated, “He was waiting for me alongside another individual seated at the adjacent table. Additionally, there was another man at a nearby table who was part of their gathering.”

She revealed to Vijesti that she attended the meeting after being moved from her role at the United States Embassy, which she claimed occurred following an unfounded arrest of her mother by the police. She insists that her job transfer was due to personal reasons.

The Police’s Internal Control Department reviewed the report and concluded that it lacked jurisdiction. They remarked, “These actions are unrelated to police duties. The discussed conversation was private, and officer Vladan Popović was not acting in his official capacity, nor was he directed to meet by his superiors,” according to the UP.

Within her report, Roćenović recounted that Popović initially responded with threats concerning her suspicions about her job transfer, referencing their direct superior, Assistant Director of the Police Administration, Miloš Peković.

“He warned me: ‘If I don’t retract my accusations, blood will be spilled,’ and ‘I won’t even think about the job anymore.’ When I pressed him if that was a threat, he replied: ‘No, I’m just informing you.’”

She further claimed that Popović took her phone and moved it to another table, and made false assertions regarding her father, saying he had been surveilling Peković’s assistant.

“At that moment, I realized they were attempting to fabricate a scenario to manipulate and intimidate me regarding my allegations about the illicit nature of my job transfer,” Roćenović noted in her May 6 report.

She pointed out that the bar had video surveillance and suggested analyzing the footage to substantiate her claims: “I recommend that the tape be reviewed to support my allegations. I also propose that both I and Vladan Popović take a lie detector test.”

She expressed that she experienced significant stress and fear for her life, which she claims persists: “For myself and my family.”

“Instinctively, I immediately informed my family of the situation and advised them to ensure their safety.”

The police assert they responded promptly to her report, but it was too late to retrieve the videos, as Roćenović filed her report 28 days after the incident.

“In response to Officer Roćenović’s report, officers from the Podgorica Security Department quickly informed the competent prosecutor’s office and, upon the acting prosecutor’s order, gathered statements from several individuals, including Officer Popović. They also approached the catering facility to obtain the video footage. However, they discovered that the surveillance system does not retain recordings older than 15 days, which means that the events of April 8, 2025, had already been overwritten, making video analysis impossible since 28 days had elapsed between the meeting and the filing of the report,” explained the UP.

Vijesti also requested a statement from the Police Directorate regarding officer Popović, but had not received a response as of yesterday.

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