N14.T7 – Trial of Vesna Medenica and Others Continues: Former Judge Admits to Issuing a Verdict Under Pressure from Her
HRA NEWSLETTER 14 – TOPIC 7
Instead of closing arguments, the trial of former Supreme Court President Vesna Medenica and other defendants — held before the Special Department of the High Court in Podgorica — will continue with additional evidence and witness examinations. Medenica is accused of being part of a criminal group allegedly organized by her son Miloš.
On 26 November, the panel led by Judge Vesna Kovačević accepted the prosecution’s motion to admit new Sky communications into evidence. These, according to the prosecution, confirm the identification of defendant Darko Lalović and also include alleged exchanges between Vesna Medenica and Vladan Vučelić. The court also approved a new hearing of financial expert witness Milenko Popović to assess possible budgetary damage related to cigarette smuggling from the Free Customs Zone in the Port of Bar.
This move sparked objections from the defense, whose attorneys argued that the prosecution was introducing new evidence and communications three years into the trial, none of which had previously been submitted to the court. Prosecutors responded that further analyses of the Sky communications had only been conducted following recent statements by the defense.
At a hearing on 19 November, Judge Kovačević rejected all defense motions, including Medenica’s request for a new forensic examination of her phone.
A day earlier, witness Jovan Stanković, former judge of the Basic Court in Herceg Novi, testified and admitted that he issued an unlawful verdict under pressure from Vesna Medenica in favor of the company “Carine,” owned by her close associate Čedomir Popović, who is also her godfather.
“I caved to her pressure out of fear of potential consequences if I crossed her. Besides that, I made a huge mistake in allowing her to get that close to me — in not telling her: I won’t, I can’t…,” said Stanković in court.
He had previously admitted to mistakes made in that court proceeding during a 2022 hearing before the prosecution, after which he resigned from his judicial post.
Media reports indicate that Judge Vesna Kovačević, following Stanković’s testimony, remarked that his conduct “caused the greatest damage to civil court judges.”
“No wonder the public sees us this way,” Kovačević added, as quoted by Adria TV.
Vesna Medenica denied having influenced Stanković, while her defense attorneys, Zdenko Tomanović and Zdravko Begović, argued that the former judge “cannot be regarded as a reliable witness” and that he was trying to evade responsibility for issuing an unlawful ruling.
The 18 November hearing was interrupted when Vesna Medenica fell ill.
To recall, Miloš Medenica, son of the former Supreme Court President, is accused of organizing a criminal group in 2019 that included his mother and other defendants. The alleged purpose of the group was cigarette smuggling and illegal influence over the judiciary, aiming to gain unlawful profit and power. The Special State Prosecutor’s Office has indicted him, Vesna Medenica, Darko Lalović, Vasilije Petrović, Bojan and Marko Popović, Marko Vučinić, Milorad Medenica, Luka Bakoč, Petar Milutinović, Ivana Kovačević, Radomir Raičević, Marjan Bevenja, Stevo Karanikić, Goran Jovanović, and the company Kopad Company for multiple offenses: forming a criminal organization, smuggling, giving and receiving bribes, illegal influence and incitement to illegal influence, abuse of office, drug trafficking, unlawful possession of weapons, inflicting serious bodily harm, and obstruction of justice.
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