Katnić: We did not blackmail Assad to give false testimony, the persecution of Čađenović and me continues under the direction of Knežević and Mandić with the support of the SSPO

The former leaders of the Democratic Front Andrija Mandić and Milan Knežević continue to persecute me and my first associate, prosecutor Saša Čađenović. All of this, unfortunately, is being done with the support of the Special State Prosecutor’s Office which I once led... I do not admit guilt, and the allegations from the indictment proposal are unfounded, that we pressured and blackmailed the American citizen Joseph Assad to come to Montenegro and give false testimony against Mandić and Knežević. This was stated today in the High Court in a defense that lasted more than six hours by former Chief Special Prosecutor Milivoje Katnić.

Katnić and Čađenović are charged in the indictment proposal with allegedly committing, as co-perpetrators, the criminal offenses of abuse of official position and unlawful influence in the „coup d’état“ case.

- Prosecutor Vukas Radonjić, based on the statement of Assad’s representative Toby Cadman, claims that we exerted pressure for Assad to come to Montenegro and give false testimony against Mandić and Knežević. I never mentioned the names of Milan Knežević and Andrija Mandić, and in the files that were formed against Assad there are no such names - Katnić said.

On several occasions he repeated that, based on what he called shameless lies by Toby Cadman, prosecutor Radonjić supported the thesis that Assad was threatened and conditioned to come to Montenegro in order to give false testimony about the role of the Democratic Front ahead of the 2016 parliamentary elections.

According to Katnić, a central warrant was issued for Assad due to attempted terrorism, because there was reasonable suspicion that his company was involved in, in the event of unrest on the day of the parliamentary elections in October 2016, participating in the „evacuation of DF leaders and citizens in and around Podgorica“.

- I remember that in 2018 I was contacted by then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Zoran Pažin, who was in charge of extradition procedures. His call came after Assad was arrested in the United Arab Emirates. He then told me that Cadman had contacted him because they had known each other for almost ten years and had participated in legislative changes in Montenegro. Cadman told Minister Pažin that he had been engaged by Assad’s wife... He also stated that Assad was ready for a summary extradition procedure - Katnić said.

After that, the former Chief Special Prosecutor was visited by Cadman together with Minister Pažin, and the meeting took place in the office in the building of the Special State Prosecutor’s Office.

Katnić emphasized that Pažin attended the meeting but did not take part in it in any way.

He explained to Cadman, as he said, that Assad could obtain the status of a cooperating witness but was obliged to tell the truth and conceal nothing.

- After he obtains the status of a cooperating witness and presents all his knowledge, he then becomes a free citizen - Katnić said.

He added that it was clear that Assad first had to testify as an accused and then obtain the status of a cooperating witness.

In the United States, according to Katnić, a hearing for Assad was scheduled, but he and his lawyers from the US did not appear.

All of this took place during 2018.

Katnić also revealed that they wanted to give Assad certain privileges by granting him the status of a cooperating witness, in order to obtain the account numbers to which money had been transferred.

- The Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia transferred hundreds of thousands of euros to various accounts abroad, and the link was Ananije Nikić - Katnić said.

He explained that their goal was to uncover all financial flows intended for the attack on Montenegrin institutions on the day of the parliamentary elections and the violent change of government.

According to Katnić, Mandić and Knežević had no communication with Assad’s company, but other persons who are now ministers did.

- Cadman also claimed that Pažin threatened him. But Pažin will speak about that if the court accepts him as a witness. Cadman and Pažin appeared very friendly to me. Pažin treated him to seafood at least once. If there were threats, why was that not reported to the US prosecution, the FBI, and the British intelligence service - Katnić said.

He believes that Cadman should face criminal responsibility because, as he says, he deceived them so that the warrant against Asad could be lifted.

He claims that the current SSPO concealed everything in order to „create the appearance that there was no agreement for Assad to come, admit guilt, and accept the status of a cooperating witness“.

- And that was in order to meet the aspirations of Knežević and Mandić, who were clearly exerting pressure on the Minister of Justice, who was reporting to them in the Parliament on the course of this criminal procedure, although they had no formal role in it, just as they do not have one now as injured parties - Katnić emphasized.

The trial continues on July 10, when Katnić will continue presenting his defense.

As a reminder, the Special State Prosecutor’s Office previously stated that the subject of the indictment proposal is a „joint decision of the accused to reach an agreement with the legal representative of Joseph Assad, a citizen of the United States of America, for him to come to Montenegro and testify in the manner requested by the accused in the proceedings before the High Court in Podgorica, against the accused Andrija Mandić and Milan Knežević, leaders of the political alliance Democratic Front and other persons, for the criminal offenses of creating a criminal organization, attempted terrorism, and preparation of acts against the constitutional order and security of Montenegro through incitement“.

The Special State Prosecutor’s Office and Čađenović initiated criminal proceedings against Assad for the criminal offenses of creating a criminal organization and attempted terrorism through aiding and abetting.

There is suspicion that Assad’s arrival was meant to confirm the allegations of the indictment of the Special State Prosecutor’s Office against them, which the accused defended, and in return for the withdrawal of the national and international warrant against him, so that he would not be arrested and detained and so that criminal proceedings against him would be discontinued - the Special State Prosecutor’s Office previously stated.

The Court of Appeal in December 2025 rejected the appeal of the Special State Prosecutor’s Office and confirmed the verdict of the High Court in Podgorica acquitting all defendants in the „coup d’état“ case.

By the High Court verdict, Eduard Šišmakov, Vladimir Popov, Bratislav Dikić, Predrag Bogićević, Nemanja Ristić, Srboljub Đorđević, Kristina Hristić, Branka Milić, Milan Dušić, Dragan Maksić, Mihailo Čađenović, Andrija Mandić, and Milan Knežević were acquitted of all charges.