The appellate court acknowledged the appeal of the head of the Railroad Directorate Nebojsa Obradovic and transformed his three-month prison sentence to two-year probation. In May 2017, high court in Podgorica sentenced Obradovic to three months in prison for abuse of office.
Former MP Mladen Bojanic, who reported the case, called on the Government, the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (ASK) and the Prosecutor’s Office to take a position on the Appellate Court’s final decision. He said he expected the Government to dismiss Obradovic and the Prosecutor’s Office to prosecute seven people who had attempted to deceive the court by giving false statements during the trial.
“Any other decision would send a message that corruption pays,” Bojanic said.
Obradovic’s attorney Nikola Martinovic said that the Appellate Court’s decision mitigated the injustice against suffered by his client. According to him, the fuss launched over the Ramada case was aimed at gaining political points by certain circles and not achieving justice.
Obradovic was sentenced for paying the cost of Social Democrats’ (SD) gathering in the Ramada Hotel with his Directorate’s money. Thus, he cost the state budget €950. The appellate court’s decision also implies that Obradovic has to pay the money back. Together with the court expenses, he will have to pay a total of €2,720.
