Police Major Katarina Petrović from Valjevo was acquitted of the criminal offense of disclosing secret information in the repeated proceedings. Lawyer Branko Ivković tells "Vreme" that this decision was expected and repeats that his client is interested in returning to work
The High Court in Valjevo publicly announced the verdict by which the police major Katarina Petrović from Valjevo was acquitted in the repeated proceedings of having committed a criminal offense under Article 98 paragraph one of the Data Secrecy Act.
Katarina Petrović, to whom In June, the Court of Appeal in Belgrade overturned the acquittal for the disclosure of classified information, said recently that she expects an acquittal from the new proceedings, but that, as she said, she is ready for anything.
The Court of Appeal in Belgrade annulled the judgment of the High Court in Valjevo, which acquitted Petrović of the crime of divulging secret information in connection with the investigation conducted against Nikola Petrović, the godfather of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
Petrović is suspected of giving information that Petrović caused the traffic accident in Dedinje under the influence of cocaine and alcohol, and she was acquitted by the first-instance verdict of the High Court in Valjevo.
Lawyer: Expected court decision
Katarina Petrović's lawyer Branko Ivković tells "Vreme" that this is the expected decision of the High Court in Valjevo.
"What we expected happened. An acquittal was rendered in the repeated proceedings. The higher court in Valjevo found that the actions that were put on the charge of the defendant Katarina Petrović do not constitute a criminal offense. We expect a written solution to that decision within the legal term of 15 days," says Petrović.
He adds that he expects that the prosecution in Valjavo will appeal against this decision of the court, as well as that the final decision on the entire case will be made by the Appellate Court in Belgrade.
Speaking about the expectations of Katarina Petrović, she notes that everything depends on the final decision of the court, and recalls that she is interested in returning to work.
"The disciplinary proceedings against her are still in progress, and her labor-legal status also depends on it." The hearing in that procedure is scheduled for mid-August. As for further proceedings, I would not be able to reveal anything until the judgment is final. I remind you that Katarina Petrović in her public appearances has previously stated that she is interested in returning to her workplace," Ivković pointed out.
It all started with Nikola Petrović
Let us remind you, police officer Katarina Petrović she was arrested because she made the expert report available to the public which confirms that it is the godfather of the President of Serbia, Nikola Petrović, with an expensive McLaren car, under the influence of cocaine and alcohol caused a traffic accident in which two women were injured.
Retaliation was initiated by the Department of Internal Control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which was placed at the disposal of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office (VJT) in Belgrade and the Special Department for Suppression of Corruption, as being completely incompetent.
In order to have grounds to detain Katarina Petrović, Belgrade's VJT, headed by Nenad Stefanović, launched an investigation for abuse of office. Due to public pressure, Petrović was eventually released from custody, and the prosecution in Belgrade filed an indictment against her for violating the Data Secrecy Act, an act that is not in their jurisdiction at all.
The case was then, with a proposal to sentence Petrović to seven months in prison, referred to the jurisdiction of the High Court in Valjevo, which after the proceedings assessed that Katarina Petrović did not violate the Data Secrecy Act and acquitted her of guilt.
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