Golubović detained for up to 30 days, defense announces appeal

AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS

Former National Security Agency (ANB) official Duško Golubović was questioned by the investigating judge of the Higher Court in Podgorica. His lawyer Velibor Marković said that the questioning was completed and that he was ordered to be detained for up to 30 days. He announced an appeal against the court's decision.

Recall that Golubović was arrested on Friday on the orders of the Special State Prosecutor's Office (SDT).

Yesterday, the police searched Golubović's real estate for hours, and the first information emerged about what the prosecution is specifically charging him with.

Marković Jr. explained that Golubović was charged with the criminal offense of money laundering, by converting certain funds by purchasing several properties.

"It is stated that these funds were acquired through the criminal activity of cigarette smuggling. However, what is controversial is that there is no reference to any final judgment or even criminal proceedings for the criminal offense of cigarette smuggling where it would be mentioned in any context. Therefore, there is neither a conviction nor criminal proceedings for the criminal offense of smuggling that would connect it to any trade or cigarette smuggling," the lawyer told Radio Montenegro.

He explains that the criminal offense of money laundering is specific, because it is a so-called predicate criminal offense. It can only exist if it is preceded by a criminal offense or criminal activity.

"As I said, the factual description of the criminal report states that when it comes to criminal activity, it was cigarette smuggling, however, it is symptomatic that neither the period or time when that criminal activity was carried out, nor the place of that criminal activity, nor the manner of that activity, nor the type of cigarettes, quantity of cigarettes, nor the names of the people who transported those cigarettes were specified. Therefore, there are no essential characteristics or other elements of a criminal activity from which, allegedly, unlawful material gain was obtained, which was later used to purchase real estate," said Marković.

Members of the Special Police Department deprived Golubović of his liberty in the early hours of Friday morning, after which he was taken for questioning to the building of the Special Police Department (SPO).

Golubović was taken to the Special Prosecutor Tanja Čolan Deretić's office on Friday evening at around 9:30 p.m. He was questioned at the SDT, after which he was ordered to be detained by prosecutors for up to 72 hours.