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RAAUZYUW RUEHPOD0250 2011607-UUUU--RHMCSUU.
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 201607Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY PODGORICA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RUEHPOD/AMEMBASSY PODGORICA
B T

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PODGORICA 000250 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
ROME ALSO FOR DEA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KCRM CASC MW
SUBJECT: FURTHER DELAYS IN HIGH-PROFILE MURDER CASE 
 
REF: A. A) PODGORICA 229 
 
     ¶B. B) 05 BELGRADE 1750 
 
PODGORICA 00000250  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY 
 
 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: THE TRIAL OF THE ACCUSED IN THE 2005 MURDER OF 
POLICE CHIEF INSPECTOR SLAVOLJUB SCEKIC HAS BEEN DELAYED UNTIL 
FURTHER NOTICE. THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR FOR ORGANIZED CRIME 
STOJANKA RADOVIC HAS STATED THAT SHE DISTRUSTS THE IMPARTIALITY 
OF A MEMBER OF THE JUDICIAL PANEL. SHE CLAIMS THAT JUDGE CEDOMIR 
JANJEVIC BOUGHT A HOUSE FROM THE MOTHER OF LJUBO VUJADINOVIC, 
WHO IS ACCUSED IN THE MURDER. THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR THEREFORE 
HAS FILED A REQUEST FOR THE REMOVAL OF JUDGE JANJEVIC, WHOM SHE 
CLAIMS CANNOT BE IMPARTIAL. TEN PERSONS HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF 
CRIMINAL ASSOCIATION AND MURDER OF SCEKIC. DURING THE 
INVESTIGATION AND THE PREVIOUS LEGAL PROCEEDINGS ALL OF THE 
ACCUSED HAVE DENIED ALL CHARGES. THE TRIAL HAS BEEN DELAYED SIX 
TIMES SO FAR. IT IS NOT CERTAIN HOW LONG IT MIGHT TAKE TO 
COMPLETE ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING LAW SUITS BEFORE THE 
MONTENEGRIN JUDICIARY. END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
 
 
BACKGROUND 
 
---------- 
 
 
 
¶2. (U) SLAVOLJUB SCEKIC, HEAD OF THE DIRECTORATE FOR GENERAL 
CRIME OF THE MONTENEGRIN INTERIOR MINISTRY (MUP), WAS AMBUSHED 
AND SHOT DEAD IN THE EVENING OF AUGUST 30, 2005, AROUND 1 A.M. 
IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE IN PODGORICA. SASA BORETA, LJUBO BIGOVIC, 
LJUBO VUJADINOVIC, ALAN KOZAR, MILAN SCEKIC, VUK VULEVIC, 
RADOSAV VULEVIC, DUSICA VUKOVIC, GORAN ZIVKOVIC, AND DUSANKA 
VUKOVIC ARE ACCUSED OF THE MURDER AND OF CRIMINAL ASSOCIATION. 
MILAN SCEKIC (NO RELATION) IS ACCUSED OF MURDERING INSPECTOR 
SCEKIC WHILE LJUBO VUJADINOVIC IS ACCUSED OF BEING AN ACCESSORY 
TO THE MURDER. ACCORDING TO THE INDICTMENT, SCEKIC WAS MURDERED 
FOR INVESTIGATING THE BOMBING ATTACKS ON THE HOTEL "SPLENDID" IN 
BECICI, SUPPOSEDLY PERPETRATED BY THE CRIMINAL GROUP WITH THE 
VIEW OF EXTORTING EUROS 2 MILLION. BESIDES THE SPLENDID CASE, 
SCEKIC WAS ALSO INVESTIGATING SEVERAL HIGH PROFILE MURDERS. HE 
WAS BELIEVED TO BE AN HONEST POLICEMAN. 
 
 
 
TRIAL DELAYED SIX TIMES 
 
----------------------- 
 
 
 
¶3. (U) THE TRIAL, WHICH IS PENDING AT THE PODGORICA HIGH COURT, 
HAD BEEN DELAYED SIX TIMES SO FAR. IT HAS BEEN CHAIRED BY JUDGE 
LAZAR AKOVIC. THE FIRST HEARING DELAY OCCURRED ON JANUARY 22, 
2007, WHEN THE TRIAL WAS POSTPONED TO MARCH 19 DUE TO THE 
SICKNESS OF ONE OF THE ACCUSED. THE MARCH 19 HEARING WAS ITSELF 
CANCELLED OWING TO THE FAILURE OF THE DEFENSE ATTORNEYS TO 
APPEAR. THE TRIAL RESUMED ON MARCH 26, BUT WAS QUICKLY ADJOURNED 
AFTER THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR FOR ORGANIZED CRIME, STOJANKA 
RADOVIC, ASKED FOR JUDGE LAZAR AKOVIC TO BE REMOVED. (PRESIDENT 
OF THE HIGH COURT IVICA STANKOVIC REFUSED HER REQUEST.) THE 
TRIAL WAS DELAYED A FOURTH TIME (DATE NOT KNOWN) WHEN CHIEF 
STATE PROSECUTOR VESNA MEDENICA REJECTED THE DEFENSE'S REQUEST 
THAT THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR BE EXEMPTED FROM THE CASE. THE FIFTH 
AND SIX TRIAL DELAYS (ON JUNE 22 AND JULY 4) WERE AGAIN DUE TO 
THE FAILURE OF THE DEFENSE ATTORNEYS TO APPEAR IN COURT. 
 
 
 
¶4. (U) WHEN THE TRIAL CONTINUED ON MAY 24 ALL OF THE ACCUSED 
(EXCEPT MILAN "CILA" SCEKIC WHO IS STILL AT LARGE) PLEADED NOT 
GUILTY. ACCORDING TO THE INDICTMENT RAISED BY THE SPECIAL 
PROSECUTOR FOR ORGANIZED CRIME, SASA BORETA, LJUBO BIGOVIC, ALAN 
KOZAR, LJUBO VUJADINOVIC, MILAN CILA SCEKIC, VUK VULEVIC AND HIS 
FATHER RADOSAV, DANICA VUKOVIC, GORAN ZIVKOVIC AND DUSANKA 
VUJOVIC ARE CHARGED WITH CRIMINAL ASSOCIATION, FELONY MURDER, 
AIDING AND ABETTING AFTER THE FACT, CONNIVANCE, FORGERY, MONEY 
LAUNDERING, CAUSING OF A GENERAL DANGER, AND ATTEMPTED 
EXTORTION. MILAN "CILA" SCEKIC IS TRIED IN ABSENTIA. ACCORDING 
TO LOCAL LEGISLATION, THE POSSIBLE SENTENCES FOR THE MENTIONED 
CRIMES VARY FROM 5 TO 30 YEARS IN PRISON. 
 
 
 
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PODGORICA 00000250  002.3 OF 002 
 
 
¶5. (U) JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS WERE HELD ON JUNE 2 - 3, AND JUNE 
18-19. 
 
 
 
SPECIAL PROSECUTOR DISTRUSTS JUDGE JOVANOVIC 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
 
 
¶6. (U) THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR FOR ORGANIZED CRIME STOJANKA 
RADOVIC ON JULY 19 FILED A REQUEST WITH PRESIDING JUDGE AKOVIC 
THAT ONE OF THE THREE PANEL JUDGES, CEDOMIR JANJEVIC, BE REMOVED 
FROM THE CASE. SHE CITES EVIDENCE THAT IN MAY 2005 JUDGE 
JANJEVIC BOUGHT A HOUSE AND LATER A PLOT OF LAND FROM MILKA 
BULATOVIC, MOTHER OF ACCUSED LJUBO VUJADINOVIC. THE PROSECUTORS 
VIEW IS THAT THE TRANSACTIONS TOOK PLACE SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE 
PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS THAT 
CULMINATED IN SCEKIC'S MURDER. "IT ALL CREATES A JUSTIFIED 
SUSPICION OF THE OBJECTIVITY OF JUDGE CEDOMIR JOVANOVIC, FOR THE 
PURCHASING OF A HOUSE ENTAILS ESTABLISHING OF CLOSE HUMAN AND 
PRIVATE RELATIONS," STATED THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR. THE DECISION 
ABOUT WHETHER TO REMOVE JUDGE JOVANOVIC FROM THE CASE IS TO BE 
TAKEN BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PODGORICA HIGH COURT IVICA 
STANKOVIC. 
 
 
 
COMMENT 
 
------- 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) THE TRIAL OF THOSE ACCUSED OF KILLING POLICE OFFICIAL 
SCEKIC, AS WELL AS THE ONGOING TRIAL OF EIGHTEEN ETHNIC 
ALBANIANS ACCUSED OF PLANNING TERRORIST ATTACKS IN MONTENEGRO, 
PROCEEDS SLOWLY. WITH THE APPROACHING SUMMER HOLIDAYS THERE IS 
LITTLE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE SCEKIC MURDER TRIAL WILL BE RESUMED 
BEFORE SEPTEMBER. HOWEVER, POST VIEWS POSITIVELY THE 
PROSECUTOR'S REQUEST TO REMOVE JOVANOVIC; EVEN IF HIS HOUSE 
PURCHASE WAS INNOCENT (A SOMEWHAT DUBIOUS ASSERTION), HE SHOULD 
HAVE RECUSED HIMSELF FROM THE CASE AT THE START - AVOIDING THE 
APPEARANCE OF IMPROPRIETY. 
BARNES 
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