The former head of the Supreme Court of Montenegro was sentenced to 10 years in prison 0 9

The Supreme Court of Podgorica found Medenica guilty on four counts of abuse of influence but acquitted her on the charge of 'creating a criminal organization' due to lack of evidence. According to the prosecution, the organization was led by her son Miloš Medenica.

Miloš Medenica, who was tried alongside his mother, received a sentence of 10 years and 2 months in prison. He was found guilty of creating a criminal organization and smuggling.

Both defendants were also fined 50,000 euros each.

According to case materials, the group led by Miloš Medenica was involved in drug and cigarette smuggling, bribery, as well as illegal possession of weapons and explosives.

Former Chief State Prosecutor Vesna Medenica, who headed the Supreme Court of Montenegro for 13 years, left her position in 2020.

At the time of the crimes, she "used the power and influence derived from her position to act contrary to the fundamental values she was obliged to protect, abused her position, and seriously undermined public trust in the judiciary," the court stated.

Medenica was arrested in April 2022 while attempting to board a flight to neighboring Serbia. Shortly before that, local media published transcripts of encrypted messages in which her son claimed that his mother would cover for his illegal cocaine and cigarette smuggling deals.

In the same year, charges were brought against Medenica, but she was released from custody.

The 68-year-old Medenica became the first high-ranking judicial official in Montenegro to be accused of abuse of power.

This is already the third case against her in the Supreme Court of Podgorica. Last year, in two other proceedings for abuse of official position, she was sentenced to a total of two years and three months in prison.

Against the backdrop of Montenegro's candidacy for European Union membership, the country's authorities promised to fight corruption and organized crime more actively. In recent years, several former leaders of the judiciary and police have been arrested in the country.