[ad_1]
Since the defense of the property owner, Predrag Koluvija, began in the trial in the Jovanjic case, we have witnessed and announced new moments in the investigation. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has spoken about the case on several occasions in recent days, announcing a new polygraph for two policemen who participated in the arrest of Koluvija, and who have already undergone such a test twice. The president also says that some outlets are trying to make them heroes. The fact that some pro-government tabloids turn owner Jovanjica into a hero has been left without comment. Like the unanswered question: how is it possible that the president knows details that are otherwise unknown?
Institutions such as the Government, crisis personnel and the National Assembly often have a common and unofficial spokesperson: the President of Serbia, although that is not their job.
It is not strange that he is a spokesperson for the prosecution and investigation bodies, so in the last week of 2020 he informed the public on several occasions, as an insider, about what to expect in the trial of Predrag Koluvija, the owner of the plantation “Jovanjica”.
“Where is that call with Coluvia?” And perhaps, to everyone’s surprise, will you soon hear that others have spoken with Coluvia? I think they will be surprised. “Interesting things,” said Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
The editor-in-chief of the pro-government tabloid “Informer” spoke on the same topic, in a similar vein, just hours before the New Year’s presidential conference.
“You will see terrible discoveries. Some in this country have had many dangerous plans and they still have dangerous plans. Wait, that investigation has gone quite far, expect shocking discoveries,” said Informer editor Dragan Vučićević.
Then a few days later, in the same studio, Vučić again.
“They are trying to turn two policemen into heroes for two days. We will see what they told the truth and what they did not, in a real polygraph exam and with real polygraph questions, although that is not a sufficient means of proof at all,” he added Vucic.
And the experts confirm: a polygraph really is not a means of proof. But, there were situations in which he was about to take the oath, such as when the mayor of Novi Sad brought criminal charges against him and his brother at the initiative of the president.
“That experience will have to be completed over the phone.” It is not an overview of communications, but an experience. It will need to be completed once. I will have to be cited on more criminal charges. “No one has called me yet, no one has called my brother, we are both ready to take a polygraph,” the Serbian president said.
Milicevic: the president’s announcements have a political connotation
Nova.rs journalist Ivan Milićević, who follows this procedure regularly, believes that the president’s announcements and stories about the polygraph actually only have a political connotation, but are still interesting to him.
Because we had, for three days, we listened to Coluvia, who presented her defense before the Special Court, and in addition to what happened at that time, let’s say, the attack on our colleague Jelena Zoric, that is, the lawyer transmitted some disturbing messages, which they were characterized as threats, obvious threats. So that moment is very interesting, why is it mentioned right now what it will do, whether it will reveal something new to someone or not “, believes Ivan Milićević of the Nova.rs portal.
Radovan Lazić from the Association of Public Prosecutors recalls that the president spoke in a similar way at the end of 2019, when the procedure was in the investigation phase. He adds that no one can know in advance what the witness or suspect will say at trial.
“Unless I am in some way in contact with that witness or that suspect.” I do not believe it and it does not seem to me that it is so, it seems to me that this is a statement that has a political character or perhaps represents some expectation of the president ” , says Lazic.
But what if the most powerful man in the country really does know and has some information?
“Then it could be quite dangerous, because it would indicate a connection between some participants in that procedure and the president, and that is no longer allowed,” Lazic added.
