Former police officer Nikola Janičić testified today in the High Court in Podgorica, asserting that no one ever requested him to omit any individual from a criminal complaint. Janičić, who previously worked in the Organized Crime Sector, spent over three hours answering questions related to the ongoing trial of former Chief Special Prosecutor Milivoje Katnić, former senior police official Zoran Lazović, and suspended prosecutor Saša Čađenović.
During his testimony, Janičić firmly stated, “Zoran Lazović never called me to say that a person should not be prosecuted, especially not Duško Roganović.” He emphasized that neither Lazović, Katnić, nor Čađenović sought any privileges for members of a criminal organization.
The prosecution, led by Special Prosecutor Miloš Šoškić, alleges that Lazović formed a criminal organization that included retired prosecutor Katnić and suspended prosecutor Čađenović, who is accused of working for the Kavački clan. Lazović is also suspected of protecting Duško Roganović, a member of the Kavački group, by reportedly instructing prosecutors to exclude him from criminal cases.
Janičić remarked, “I am not aware that Zoran Lazović had any connections with criminal groups, nor could we establish that from covert surveillance measures.” He recounted first meeting Lazović in June 2019, shortly after the murder of Stefan Šarović in Herceg Novi, and mentioned that a helicopter and forensic experts were deployed at Lazović’s request.
While addressing the defense’s inquiries, Janičić also discussed the activities of Lazović’s son, Petar Lazović, who is accused of being affiliated with the criminal group led by the fugitive Radoje Zvicer. He claimed that the police officer supplied a significant number of operational intelligence reports relevant to both the Kavački and Škaljarski clans.
Janičić denied having prior knowledge of any planned criminal activities by Serbian nationals Veljko Belivuk and Marko Miljković before their arrival in Montenegro in January 2021. “We received information that there were plans for their liquidation upon arriving in Montenegro. Certain individuals were arrested in connection with this,” he explained. He noted the recovery of weapons, lime, and encrypted phones in the investigation.
Janičić also discussed the murder case of Nikola Stanišić, initially reported as a missing person. He stated that the investigation only confirmed his death after receiving material from Europol. “Until then, we had no evidence that he was killed or who the perpetrator was,” he said.
The former officer denied that Čađenović opposed the identification of any suspects in Stanišić’s murder. “I remember we devised strategies to apprehend them, issuing summons for questioning regarding local cases, which ultimately led to their arrests,” he added.
The suspects in Stanišić’s murder include members of the Kavački clan: Radoje Zvicer, Slobodan Kašćelan, Milan Vujotić, Vladimir Vučković, Miloš Radonjić, Krsto Maroš, Zoran Kažić, and Darko Prelević.
Today’s hearing also scheduled to include testimonies from prosecutors Sanja Jovićević and Mira Samardžić was postponed due to the length of Janičić’s testimony. The trial is set to continue on December 22, 2023.
Lazović, Katnić, and Čađenović have denied the allegations from the Special Prosecutor’s Office, which claims they abused their positions to benefit individuals linked to the Kavački clan. It is alleged that Lazović facilitated the removal of entry bans for criminals from Belgrade, including Belivuk and Miljković, around late December 2020 and early January 2021. Katnić is accused of using his role in the Special Prosecutor’s Office to obstruct legal action against the leaders of the Kavački clan and other members of the group. Katnić served as chief special prosecutor from 2015 until his retirement in February 2022, while Čađenović was his deputy. Lazović led the Organized Crime Sector from 2019 until March 2021.
The court proceedings remain closely monitored as they unfold, shedding light on the complex interplay between law enforcement and organized crime in the region.
