Senjak: in the Restaurant '27' case, prosecutor hears new witnesses

The Belgrade Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office is continuing its investigation into the disappearance and death of A. N., whose body was recovered late last week. After identification via DNA analysis, the office has ordered a further round of checks and the questioning of new witnesses, according to a statement issued on May 27.

Ten suspects remain in pre-trial detention for up to 30 days, among them restaurant owner N. L. (50).

Witness questioning at Restaurant ‘27’

The case involves the questioning of people seen at Restaurant ‘27’ in Savski Venac municipality in recent weeks. According to the grounds for suspicion, a crime was committed at that location.

The prosecutor’s office said it has issued over seventy orders for forensic examination:

• DNA
• ballistic
• mechanoscopic
• digital forensics

Investigators have seized 24 mobile phones and 10 vehicles. The material is being processed at the National Criminal-Technical Centre.

Obstruction of justice

Petar U. (20), charged with obstruction of justice, has been brought in for questioning several times. The Belgrade prosecutor’s office said there is reasonable suspicion that the defendant removed evidence from the crime scene, an offence classified under Article 333 of the Criminal Code.

The criminal offence of obstruction of justice under Article 336b, when it involves destruction or removal of evidence in a case classified as murder, carries a sentence of one to eight years. In its aggravated form, when committed within an organised group, the sentence rises to between two and twelve years.

Links to other investigations

According to sources close to the investigation, the Senjak case is being checked for links to other current investigations. These include the attack on a restaurant in Novi Beograd on May 21, where an attempted murder took place. The final assessment of links between cases depends on investigations underway.

The 30-day detention period for the ten suspects can be extended by an additional 60 days, with a reasoned motion.

YUCOM on the presumption of innocence

The Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM), in a general comment on cases with heavy media attention, lawyer Milan Antonijevic said:

Public broadcasting of parts of an investigation before an indictment is filed can affect the presumption of innocence under Article 3 of the Criminal Procedure Code, and the use of initials for suspects until a final ruling is the basic principle of reporting.

Lawyers warn the risk grows with each public release of investigative detail.

Appeal against detention

Defence lawyers for one of the suspects said an appeal was lodged against the detention ruling after the client’s questioning. The appeal will be ruled on by the Belgrade Appellate Court panel within 48 hours of receiving the case file.

Next steps

The next procedural step is the completion of forensic examinations. Once the National Criminal-Technical Centre reports are received, a decision to open a formal investigation against specific suspects will be issued.

The prosecutor’s office has not announced when the next public statement with the procedural classification can be expected.

When will the prosecutor’s office issue a decision to open a formal investigation and file criminal complaints against specific persons? Follow our Senjak coverage on the portal.