Judge's unusual exchange with organized crime suspect

A Montenegrin daily <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi66qn_X7uY&feature=player_embedded" class="text-link" target= "_blank">posted a video</a> on the internet of an unusual exchange between a judge and an organized crime suspect in a town in the north of the country.

Izvor: B92

Saturday, 23.07.2011.

17:26

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A Montenegrin daily posted a video on the internet of an unusual exchange between a judge and an organized crime suspect in a town in the north of the country. The court case against Dusko Saric - the brother of suspected drug lord Darko Saric - has been described as Montenegro's "trial of the decade". Judge's unusual exchange with organized crime suspect Tight security was in place around the court in the town of Bijelo Polje, but inside, according to the video posted by the Vijesti newspaper, the mood was more relaxed. Judge Sefkija Djesevic took to addressing the defendant by his first name, and alternating between the customary second-person plural and the informal second-person singular. At one point, Djesevic started asking questions completely unrelated to the indictment: Judge: Were you successful in leading that club? Saric: Yes. In four years we took three trophies in the First Montenegrin League. Judge: You had a worthy secretary? Saric: Yes (laughs). Judge: So, that's that? The indictment against Dusko Saric and Jovica Loncar states that they used banking and financial dealings to cover up the origin of the money which they knew came from production and trafficking of narcotics. These activities, according to the prosecution, took place in 2006 and 2007, and a total of EUR 21.3mn was laundered in this way. When he showed up in the courtroom, Dusko Saric first resolutely refused to speak about the accusations against him or the dealings of his fugitive brother Darko - who was indicted in Serbia for organizing a shipment of 2.7 tons of cocaine from South America. However, while refusing to comment on the money laundering charges, the younger Saric went on to tell the judge that his brother "requested the passport for a few days, and I was later told that a payment of EUR 29mn was made to my bank account in Austria", adding that the money came "from the sale of the Belgrade Stampa company to the German state (sic) company WAZ". "I am convinced," Dusko Saric also told the court, "that I was arrested to put pressure on my brother Darko, who is wanted in Belgrade as the organizer of a criminal group, because I know for a fact that Belgrade never looked for me for any of these things, or charged me - until early this year when I was accused of money laundering". Dusko Saric faces Judge Djesevic (Vijesti)

Judge's unusual exchange with organized crime suspect

Tight security was in place around the court in the town of Bijelo Polje, but inside, according to the video posted by the Vijesti newspaper, the mood was more relaxed.

Judge Šefkija Đešević took to addressing the defendant by his first name, and alternating between the customary second-person plural and the informal second-person singular.

At one point, Đešević started asking questions completely unrelated to the indictment:

Judge: Were you successful in leading that club?

Šarić: Yes. In four years we took three trophies in the First Montenegrin League.

Judge: You had a worthy secretary?

Šarić: Yes (laughs).

Judge: So, that's that?

The indictment against Duško Šarić and Jovica Lončar states that they used banking and financial dealings to cover up the origin of the money which they knew came from production and trafficking of narcotics. These activities, according to the prosecution, took place in 2006 and 2007, and a total of EUR 21.3mn was laundered in this way.

When he showed up in the courtroom, Duško Šarić first resolutely refused to speak about the accusations against him or the dealings of his fugitive brother Darko - who was indicted in Serbia for organizing a shipment of 2.7 tons of cocaine from South America.

However, while refusing to comment on the money laundering charges, the younger Šarić went on to tell the judge that his brother "requested the passport for a few days, and I was later told that a payment of EUR 29mn was made to my bank account in Austria", adding that the money came "from the sale of the Belgrade Štampa company to the German state (sic) company WAZ".

"I am convinced," Duško Šarić also told the court, "that I was arrested to put pressure on my brother Darko, who is wanted in Belgrade as the organizer of a criminal group, because I know for a fact that Belgrade never looked for me for any of these things, or charged me - until early this year when I was accused of money laundering".

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