Montenegrin authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Ananije Nino Nikic, DF translator, due to suspicions that he was a part of logistical network that was preparing a terrorist attack on October 16th in Podgorica, Pobjeda daily reports.
Investigators got curious about Nikic after former Serbian intelligence officer Slavko Nikic claimed that he offered him one of the key positions in a group that was supposed “to cause chaos in Montenegro”.
According to Slavko Nikic, during spring last year Ananije Nikic came to him with a man who claimed to be agent of Russian FSB and asked him “to perform a job for Russian friends”.
Organizers
Investigators suspect that the man in question was Vladimir Popov (36), who is being sought by Interpol Podgorica. Aside from Popov, Montenegrin authorities are looking for Eduard Shirokov/Shishmakov (45), former member of Russian military structure GRU. They are believed to be main organizers of the group that was set to cause bloodshed on October 16th.
According to Montenegrin investigators, Nikic left Montenegro on November 9th last year, and operative data shows that he is now in Russia.
Three months later, on February 7th, Mihailo Cadjenovic, DF driver, was arrested, while the Prosecution started investigating DF leaders Milan Knezevic and Andrija Mandic. Speaking to Special State Prosecutor Milivoje Katnic, they denied involvement and said that “the process was a set-up”.
Prosecutor Katnic announced that the indictment for attempted terrorist attack would be ready by April 15h. Special State Prosecution asked colleagues from Serbia to extradite two of their nationals, Nemanja Ristic and Predrag Bogicevic. Appellate court in Belgrade denied the request for extradition of Ristic to Montenegro.
Court decisions
This institution stated that the Court denied the request to extradite Ristic once they concluded that there were no conditions for such actions based on the warrant of Montenegrin Prosecution.
Ristic is charged with acts that were allegedly performed on Serbian territory, and a contract between Serbia and Montenegro from May 29th 2009 stipulates that there would be no extraditions when the acts were performed on the territory of the requested state.
Bogicevic is still waiting on the Court’s decision on extradition.
There are now 25 individuals being investigated by Special Prosecution due to their involvement in the attempted terrorist attack on Montenegrin territory.
Remanded are: Bratislav Dikic, Branka Milic, Milan Dusic, Dragan Maksic, Srboljub Djordjevic, Aleksandar Curovic, Nikola Djuric, Sinisa Cetkovic, Dejan Stanojevic and Ivica Matic. Mirko Velimirovic has been conditionally charged, while Aleksandar Sindjelic became a cooperating witness.
Bogicevic released from custody
Ristic and Bogicevic are charged with forming a terrorist organization that had a goal to bring weapons to Montenegro on October 16th and start a riot in front of the Parliament, enter that institution, take over the leadership. One of DF members was supposed to start a conflict with Police so that the plan could work, the investigation warrants state.
