Piperović: Government documents I previously submitted to the court show who ordered the cigarettes, who owned them, and who the freight forwarder was!

Businessman Aleksandar Mijajlović today presented his defense and denied committing the criminal offense. Most importantly, he clearly and unequivocally denied ever having had an encrypted phone, attorney Zoran Piperović said outside the High Court.

He stated that the indictment claims that everyone had encrypted phones, but that for Mijajlović it only says he is „reasonably suspected“ of having had an encrypted phone, or elsewhere states that it is „logical“ that a certain encrypted device belonged to Aleksandar Mijajlović.

- My client presented a letter from Europol stating that they never said he was the user of that number and PIN. Mijajlović said he did not have an encrypted phone, that he knows Jokić, and he explained what he does and how he works. The most important thing you heard is that I pointed out to the court the documentation I submitted during the confirmation of the indictment, which clearly shows how the cigarettes „Leonore International“ and „Anemue“ entered the Free Customs Zone of Bar - Piperović said.

According to him, cigarettes can only be stored there if they arrive with a bill of lading, a country of origin, paid customs duties, and a known buyer.

- I told the judge that the documents I submitted were not considered. These are documents taken by the Government of Montenegro, specifically by the then unified Revenue and Customs Administration, which clearly show who the buyer was, who the owner was, and who the freight forwarder was. And from that fact, documented in official Government papers, suddenly those same Leonore cigarettes are allegedly brought by Aleksandar Mijajlović to the Port of Bar in an unknown way and removed from the port through other people in an unknown way. Those papers simply refute that - Piperović stressed.

He also pointed out that the indictment itself names a specific freight forwarder or forwarding company.

- If that is the case, and I say it is, then they should have questioned the freight forwarder and asked whether they ever conducted negotiations with Mijajlović and what kind, whether he signed anything with them, whether he had authorization from any of the companies mentioned in the indictment. Or, if not that, they should have summoned the owner of Leonore, determined who the owner is, asked whether he suffered any damage, and whether he gave the forwarding company authorization. Then everything would be completely clear - you would have had a very simple criminal law case - Piperović concluded.