Appeal against bail for Milivoje Katnić rejected

The Court of Appeal rejected the appeal filed by the defense of retired Chief Special Prosecutor Milivoje Katnić against the High Court’s decision rejecting bail in the amount of 1,199,000 euros, which he and his family had offered in real estate so that he could defend himself from freedom during the further course of the proceedings.

- This Court issued a decision rejecting the appeal filed by the defense counsel of defendant Milivoje Katnić against the ruling of the Higher Court in Podgorica, which dismissed as unfounded the defense motion seeking the termination of detention in exchange for bail - stated Danijela Vukčević, acting president of the Court of Appeal.

Earlier, several members of Milivoje Katnić’s family had offered their real estate as collateral so that he could defend himself while at liberty, but the High Court rejected the request, after which an appeal followed.

According to the indictment of the Special State Prosecutor’s Office, Katnić is accused of being a member of an alleged criminal organization formed by former high-ranking police official Zoran Lazović, whose member, according to prosecutor Miloš Šoškić, also became Special Prosecutor Saša Čađenović. The prosecution accuses Katnić, Lazović, and Čađenović of subordinating their official positions to the Kavač criminal clan and acting in its interest.

On the other hand, Katnić, Lazović, and Čađenović rejected all allegations made by the special prosecutor and pointed out that they themselves prosecuted the top leadership of the Kavač criminal clan - Radoje Zvicer and Slobodan Kašćelan, who are considered its leaders, as well as all high-ranking members of that clan.

Katnić and Lazović were arrested on April 14, 2024, and have remained in detention ever since.