Katnic to go to Russia?

Deputy prime minister and minister of justice, Zoran Pazin, says that if there is a willingness of the Russian Federation’s competent authorities to assist in the investigation on the coup attempt in Montenegro, on 16 October, then it is good news.

Pazin told Dnevne Novine newspaper that such an intention had not been expressed in any way so far, although the Special State Prosecutor’s Office had filed the request regarding that matter.

“I will remind you, in his request to Russian investigative authorities, the special state prosecutor Milivoje Katnic’s asked for their nationals Vladimir Popov and Eduard Shirokov or Shishmakov to be questioned about the relevant legal circumstances in the presence of Katnic and his associates. If Russia accepts it, it would be a true indicator that it is really willing to contribute to the investigation on the attempted coup in Montenegro, leading to its nationals and members of the intelligence services,” Pazin said.

The Russian news agency RIA Novosti announced on Thursday that the Russian State Prosecutor’s Office is considering the possibility to assist Montenegro in the investigation on the attempted state coup.

“The State Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation is reviewing the request of the Montenegrin authorities to provide legal assistance related to the investigation of those developments,” the statement said.

Katnic said last month that Russian “state institutions” were involved in the alleged plot.

“The Russian state authorities should investigate which state structures were involved in such misdeeds and to initiate proceedings against them,” said Katnic.

He said that the leader of the organised criminal group standing behind the coup attempt was Russian citizen Eduard Shishmakov, allegedly a member of the Russian military intelligence service.

Katnic has recently announced that the Special State Prosecutor’s Office would complete the indictment for the attempted coup on 16 October 2016 by 15 April.

“Special State Prosecutor’s Office issued the order to conduct the case against 23 persons. As you know, after the immunity of two more people was lifted, the case includes 25 suspects,” Katnic said appearing on the Atlas TV’s sociopolitical interview show, Ziva Istina.

In the show, he said for the first time that one of 25 suspects, Eduard Shirokov, had actually different family name – Shishmakov, although he had a valid Russian passport.

“He is not Shirokov, but Eduard Shishmakov, who was deputy military attaché of Russia in Poland in 2014, but was expelled as persona non grata due to espionage for Russia. This passport was issued to him by the authorities of Russia and he is a member of the Russian security services,” Katnic said, implying for the first time direct involvement of Russian intelligence services in the developments in Montenegro.

According to the special prosecutor, the Democratic Front and some people from that political group were involved in organising the episode. Katnic said that for the time being, there were grounds for suspicion that they included Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic.

“This is not the end of the list. It is possible that new evidence appear. It is clear that we would prosecute anyone against whom there is evidence. What needs to be clarified is whether these structures and persons knew about Shirokov/Shishmakov’s plan to liquidate members of the special police of Montenegro, presenting that a part of the special forces sided with citizens, and that they were supposed to hurt some citizens shooting at each other,” Katnic said.