Defense prepared by Radjenovics, Ticic and Petricevic is unfounded and calculated, and is not consistent with the physical evidence, which cannot be said for Vido Radjenovic who pleaded guilty, said Mrs. Vukcevic, according to Radio Antena M.
As she added in the explanation of the indictment, the evidence collected clearly shows that in 2007 in Budva and Podgorica, Radjenovic and Tičić, with the help of Petricevic and Vido Radjenovic, enabled a private company SP Luna to purchase over 27 thousand square meters of municipal land through the process of public sale, and then secured for this company money from a bank loan to purchase the land.
The land was sold to Radjenovic at a price of one million and 400 thousand euros. The same land was then sold to an Arab investor for 11 million euros. All this, said Vukcevic, appears legal if you don’t know the other side of the story.
Indictment further explains Tičić and Radjenovic knew the Arabs were interested, which is why they instructed Vido Radjenovic to buy the land at a price of 52 euros per square meter.
Vukcevic said the accuracy of these allegations has been confirmed with documentation from the municipality of Budva, testimonies, recordings of conversations and messages, as well as the confession of Vido Radjenovic.
In addition, inspection of Rađenović’s home revealed an unlicensed gun with five bullets, added in the indictment as charges for illegal possession of weapons.
On the other hand, the defense counsel of Lazar Radjenovic, lawyer Branislav Tapuskovic, asked the court to present his closing arguments tomorrow, in order to consult with the defendant. As announced, the took the case only a month and a half ago, and during that time, met with Radjenovic only once because he got arrested in the meantime. However, the court rejected the demand and Tapušković said such decision violates the rights of defense.
In his closing arguments, Tapušković first stated that he hopes that the court will not take into account other proceedings currently being explored against Radjenovic and Ticic, and will judge them fairly; then, he said, this was not possible.
Mr. Tapuskovic said the court is not dealing with true fact for two main reasons. The first is, because they did not hear the owner of the Arab company which eventually bought the land, because he believes he had to be part of the group that negotiated the purchase of the disputed land. He resented the court for refusing to bring the owner of the company for questioning, “even after the testimony of the chief executive of the company clearly showed she was but a puppet”.
The other important thing which can influence the process significantly, Tapušković added, is the fact that Vido Radjenovic did not defend himself throughout the proceedings, but exercised his right to silence.
Only one statement of Vido Radjenovic, where he said he was not sure when Tičić congratulated him on the purchase of land, Tapušković said, proves only that Aleksandar Ticic is mentioned nowhere else in the entire case, and that he is therefore not guilty.
Tapuskovic stressed that the court should take into account the fact that both cases for which Radjenovic is facing charges, occurred at a time when the mayor of Budva was Rajko Kuljača and not Lazar Radjenovic.
He noted that, ever since Rađenović became mayor of Budva, no unlawful acts were recorded.
As previously announced by judge Valentina Pavličić, the trial will be completed by September 4.
She explained that this period from 1st to 4th of September was set in order to leave space for contingencies, and that the case could be completed sooner.
The trial continues tomorrow.
