Tabloid editor releases conversation between lawyer and crime bosses

dragan j vučićević
TV Pink/Screenshot

Serbian lawyers told N1 on Tuesday that the editor of a pro-regime tabloid may have jeopardized legal proceedings against the bosses of an organized crime group by publishing an alleged transcript of a conversation with their defense lawyers.

Informer tabloid editor in chief Dragan J. Vucicevic appeared on the pro-regime TV Pink to disclose what he claims is the transcript of a conversation between Veljko Belivuk and Marko Miljkovic with their lawyer. Belivuk and Miljkovic have been charged with drug trafficking and murder. Earlier, Belivuk told prosecutors that he met with President Aleksandar Vucic and was instructed by him and other state officials to take control of Partizan FC supporters to stop them chanting offensive slogans against Vucic and stop several protests. A transcript of Belivuk’s interrogation was published by the KRIK investigative portal while NewsMax Adria published part of Miljkovic’s testimony.

Vucicevic read out the alleged transcript which showed that Belivuk, Miljkovic and their lawyer were discussing how they would lie about meeting Vucic. Vucicevic said that he got the transcript from sources which he did not name.

The Serbian Bar Association called for an investigation into how the recording was made and whether the rooms where lawyers met their clients were bugged. Bar Association Board Secretary Aleksandar Cvejic told N1 that the recording could jeopardize the proceedings.

Dragan Boljevic of the Serbian Judges’ Association warned that this could be used to claim that the defendants did not get a fair trial if their right to talk to lawyers in private has been compromised.