The Podgorica court lacks any documentation regarding the activities of a special forces officer who traversed the entire length of a tunnel that was dug from an apartment’s basement on Njegoševa Street to the High Court depot in September 2023, stated Vladimir Erić’s lawyer, Stefan Jovanović.

During today’s hearing at the Basic Court, members of the anti-sabotage inspection team, who were responsible for checking the tunnel for explosive devices, provided testimony.

Tihi Dedijer, one of the team members, reported that a member of the Anti-Terrorist Unit (PTJ) entered the tunnel.

Judge Borko Lončar remarked that this information was a new development in the court proceedings. Consequently, the court ordered that all records from the Anti-Sabotage Protection Group, related to the tunnel inspection, be acquired. Additionally, the court mandated obtaining details from the Police Directorate and the PTJ about which police officer traversed the tunnel and which officers were involved in these operations, in order to potentially hear their testimonies. The court also called upon Đokić Braunović, the police officer who compiled the crime scene reports related to this incident, to testify.

Dedijer explained that his team was dispatched to assess the potential danger from explosive devices within the tunnel.

For the inspection, they utilized a robot designed for reconnaissance, which can navigate through the area.

He elaborated that they sent the robot into the tunnel to check for explosive devices. This device is equipped with video cameras, and footage captured was presented during today’s hearing. This footage revealed that the tunnel had been secured with wooden supports and foam to prevent collapse.

Initially, they operated the robot from the apartment’s basement but did not cover the entire length of the tunnel, having reached a section where it diverged direction, leading them to retrieve the device due to a lost signal.

During the second day of reconnaissance, a member of the special police unit entered the tunnel, moving through it and was described as tall and slender, approximately two meters in height, as he followed the robot.

The re-examination proceeded from the direction of the High Court archives, with the “robot navigating the entire length, followed by a special agent who exited into the apartment’s basement.”

Dedijer contended that “a record was undoubtedly made of this traversal,” although it was absent from the court documentation.

Prosecutor Marko Mugoša asserted that this clearly demonstrated that the tunnel was indeed passable and existed, a fact that had been previously questioned.

Raković: Special forces entered a few meters on the first day, traversed the whole tunnel on the second

Igor Raković, another member of the counter-sabotage inspection group, affirmed that the initial entry into the tunnel occurred from the High Court depot side. “We deployed the robot through that opening… but quickly had to bring it back.”

He recalled that on that day, a PTJ officer “moved a few meters in but turned back for safety reasons.”

Raković confirmed that the special forces officer traversed the entire tunnel the following day, commencing from the High Court depot and exiting into the basement of the apartment.

He described the officer as “slim, around 185 cm tall and weighing approximately 80 kilos,” noting that the robot “was in front of the special forces officer the entire time.”

Đurišić: Special forces’ passage through the tunnel took roughly 20 minutes

Ivan Đurišić, the third group member, estimated that the special forces’ traversal of the tunnel took about 20 minutes, including preparation time.

He explained that the wall opening was slightly modified, or widened, to accommodate the robot, but was not significantly altered. He described the hole as being 50 cm high from the ground, necessitating the special police officer to crawl in and out.

He added that the special forces officer was equipped with mountaineering gear, including harnesses and ropes, in case of any mishap while inside. Đurišić characterized the anti-terrorism unit member who traversed the tunnel as being about 195 cm in height and weighing around 85 kilos.

Construction expert Tanja Drakulović, who testified at the previous hearing, stated that she could not determine the tunnel’s passability along its entire length based on her observations. As a result, the court summoned the group members, who provided testimony today affirming that the tunnel was indeed passable.

Mirotić: I don’t understand the police’s conclusions regarding the videos

During today’s courtroom proceedings, surveillance footage depicting the movement of a van allegedly used to rob the depot was shown. This vehicle was discovered in September 2023 in the Botun settlement near Podgorica. Accused Predrag Mirotić claimed that he did not recognize any vehicle from the footage and believed they were various vehicles, emphasizing he failed to identify the Renault Clio mentioned in his defense that he had borrowed from his sister.

“I don’t understand how anyone from the Police Directorate concluded that I was driving the Renault Clio and was present in these videos,” Mirotić expressed today.

The court subsequently ordered an expert evaluation by a digital forensics specialist, who will assess the video footage presented at today’s primary hearing to determine if it is possible to identify the license plate numbers of the monitored vehicle, especially in broader-angle shots.

The government has consented to restore the tunnel to its original condition

Judge Lončar read the Government’s conclusion today, granting approval for work to restore the tunnel to its original state, with the Cadastre and State Property Administration tasked with overseeing this measure. However, the defense contended that the Government lacked authority to enact interventions, including sealing or other restoration actions concerning the tunnel.

The court, ex officio, demanded acquisition of all documentation related to the execution of the Government’s Conclusion dated September 28, 2023, from the Cadastre and State Property Administration.

As a result, the trial of defendants Veljko M. Marković from Loznica, Milan T. Marković from Loznica, Dejan D. Jovanović from Belgrade, Vladimir M. Erić from Loznica, Predrag M. Mirotić from Zeta, Katarina D. Baćović from Podgorica, Nikola D. Milačić from Podgorica, and Marijan P. Vuljaj from Tuzi, continued today.

The High Court depot in Podgorica was broken into on September 8, 2023, with thieves making off with material evidence stored in that room until September 11, as established by the investigation conducted by the Podgorica prosecutor’s office and police. Investigators determined that the underground tunnel, through which the thieves infiltrated the court depot, had been excavated since late July.

News