N8.T3 – The Trial of Medenica and Vlahović-Milosavljević to Begin Again
HRA NEWSLETTER 8 – TOPIC 3
Another case, in which the former President of the Supreme Court Vesna Medenica plays the main role of the accused, is starting all over again. Medenica will return to the courtroom on 20 June, together with the suspended judge of the Commercial Court Milica Vlahović-Milosavljević. This trial is about to start again, no less than two years and four months after the confirmation of the indictment.
In this case, the Special State Prosecutor’s Office accused Medenica of inciting judge Vlahović-Milosavljević to abuse her official position, i.e. to prevent the collection of claims from Medenica’s best man [kum] Rade Arsić (who is meanwhile suspected of tax and contributions evasion and causing damage to the state budget). Vlahović-Milosavljević did this, but explained in court that she did not do it under pressure from Vesna Medenica, as she had said in her initial statement, but based on the law.
Let us recall that the proceedings were initially led by judge Nada Rabrenović, before whom Medenica and Vlahović-Milosavljević denied guilt. Due to Rabrenović’s illness, the case was assigned to judge Vesna Kovačević, who in the meantime applied for a position in the Appellate Court. After that, the case finally passed to Branislav Leković, who was elected judge of the High Court in Podgorica in February of this year. All in all, only two main hearings were held in almost two and a half years.
The suspended judge Vlahović-Milosavljević was initially included in the indictment accusing Vesna Medenica and the other defendants of being part of a criminal organisation created by Medenica’s son Miloš; however, in July 2023 the High Court in Podgorica allowed those proceedings to be separated.
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