Closing arguments for Belivuk and Miljkovic set for Sept. 7

The Special Court in Belgrade on Monday set closing arguments in the money laundering proceedings against Veljko Belivuk, Marko Miljkovic and their wives. The hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 7, a date that did not appear on the previously published list of hearings.

Seven people are charged before the Special Department for Organized Crime. Alongside Belivuk and Miljkovic, the indictment names Bojana Belivuk, Tanja Miljkovic, Filip Ivanovski, Marija Milutinov and Snezana Djordjevic. All are charged in the same case, which covers several counts of money laundering.

According to the indictment, the offenses were allegedly committed between 2015 and 2020. Prosecutors say the case concerns money allegedly obtained through criminal activity and then funneled into legal financial channels. Guilt in this case has not been established by a final ruling.

The judge outlined the order of proceedings for the autumn resumption. Two witnesses will be heard first, and only after that will the prosecutor deliver the closing statement.

“In September, two witnesses will be heard first, after which the prosecutor will present the closing argument,” the judge said, according to remarks reported from the courtroom.

What does the September date mean?

Scheduling closing arguments usually signals that the evidentiary phase is nearing its end. After the remaining witnesses are heard, the parties present their conclusions on the evidence. The prosecutor speaks first, followed by the defense and the defendants themselves.

A closing argument is not a verdict. It is the parties’ final chance to set out their own reading of the evidence before the panel begins deliberating. Only afterward does the court schedule the delivery of a verdict, which may take place at a separate hearing.

The Sept. 7 date means a decision in this part of the case is not expected before autumn. Court recesses and the sheer volume of files in organized crime cases routinely slow the pace of such proceedings.

Where does this case stand?

The money laundering proceedings are being conducted separately from other criminal cases linked to the same names in public discussion. In this case, the charges concern financial flows alone, that is, the alleged concealment of the origin of funds.

Belivuk and Miljkovic are publicly known as defendants in several proceedings, which is why their names appear here as well. Even so, each case is assessed on its own, based on the evidence presented in that specific trial. The legal definition of money laundering requires prosecutors to prove both the predicate offense, meaning the source of the funds, and the act by which the money entered legal channels.

Before the closing arguments, the announced witnesses still have to be heard. Their testimony may shape how the parties frame their final positions before the panel.

Will the September date be held as planned, or will the trial be postponed once again?