Podgorica High Court issues multiple acquittals and rulings

The High Court in Podgorica has issued several notable rulings involving allegations of abuse of office and legal disputes in Montenegro.

Former executive director of Railway Infrastructure of Montenegro (ŽICG), Milan Čolaković, was acquitted of charges brought by the Special State Prosecutor's Office. The prosecution alleged that Čolaković abused his position to facilitate the payment of 331,096 euros to former railway workers, causing damage to the company. However, the court determined that the payments were authorized by the Board of Directors rather than being the result of an individual order from Čolaković.

In a separate matter, former Eko-fond director Jovan Martinović and employee Andrej Nedović were acquitted of charges regarding the improper allocation of emission credits to the company ‘Uniprom’. The court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support the suspicion that they committed a criminal offense involving benefits exceeding 20 million euros.

Additionally, the High Court in Podgorica overturned a first-instance verdict against businessman Zoran Bećirović, his son Luka, and Mladen Mijatović. They had previously been convicted of violent behavior toward a journalist and her family. The court found the original verdict to be contradictory and lacking clarity, ordering a retrial.