Senjak Murder: Two Accomplice Suspects Face Questioning
After nearly 12 hours of questioning for Sasa V, prosecutors will on Wednesday bring two more suspects accused of complicity in the Senjak restaurant murder before a judge, with their alleged roles now known.
- Questioning of two suspects accused of complicity in the Senjak restaurant murder of May 12 is scheduled for Wednesday.
- M. S. is charged with aggravated murder as a co-perpetrator, committed in a treacherous manner.
- D. V. is suspected of providing assistance and, according to investigators, of procuring the weapon used in the crime.
- The lead suspect, Sasa V, earlier gave his defense during questioning that lasted nearly 12 hours.
The Belgrade Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office will on Wednesday bring two more suspects before a duty judge in the case of the murder at a restaurant in the Senjak district. The charges concern complicity in the death of A. N, who was killed at the venue in that part of Belgrade on May 12. The investigation is entering a new phase, now focused on those who, prosecutors suspect, helped prepare and carry out the crime.
The questioning is scheduled a week after the lead suspect was examined. Sasa V, named in the case as the direct perpetrator, gave his defense at the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office during questioning that, according to available information, lasted nearly 12 hours. He claimed he had fired in self-defense, a version prosecutors will test through further proceedings and forensic analysis.
Who are the two being questioned on Wednesday?
Two people with different alleged roles stand before the prosecution on Wednesday. M. S. is charged with aggravated murder as a co-perpetrator, committed, it is alleged, in a treacherous manner. That legal classification means the suspicion is that he was not merely present, but directly took part in carrying out the act, under a circumstance that makes the offense more serious.
The second suspect, D. V, is suspected of aiding. According to investigators, she procured the weapon later used in the crime. At this stage these are prosecution claims rather than established facts. No suspect’s guilt has been finally determined, and no indictment has been filed. Questioning before a judge serves to let the suspects present their defense and to decide on possible detention.
In the meantime, the prosecution has ordered the investigation to be expanded. According to available information, it points to the role of several accomplices, meaning the circle of suspects is not necessarily closed. Such a move is not unusual when an act is believed to have been planned, as prosecutors try to reconstruct who did what before and after the shooting.
What happens after the questioning?
After the questioning, the judge decides on the prosecution’s motion. In aggravated murder cases it is common for detention to be sought, most often over the risk of flight, influence on witnesses, or repetition of the offense. Detention is ordered for up to 30 days and can be extended during the investigation, up to a possible indictment.
The next steps depend on forensic findings and the evidence gathered. Prosecutors will have to reconcile the self-defense account with findings on how the weapon was procured and who was present at the moment of the shooting. If the expanded investigation confirms the suspicions, the number of defendants could grow before the case reaches trial.
For now, it is clear only that the Senjak murder case is entering a procedural phase in which detention and the further course of the investigation are decided. Everything else depends on evidence that has yet to be presented. How much will the truth about what happened at the restaurant on May 12 depend on what the two suspects say before the judge on Wednesday?
