Podgorica, (MINA) - Minister of Justice Bojan Bozovic will not interfere in the work of the Special State Prosecutor’s Office (SDT), as requested by President Jakov Milatovic who asked Bozovic to prepare a proposal to pardon Vesna Bratic in order to exempt her from criminal prosecution, Vijesti has learned.

A source from the Ministry of Justice told the daily that the Minister has no intention of recommending that the President release someone against whom the proceedings have only just begun, and no indictment has been filed yet.

“That would be a precedent and would represent inappropriate interference of the executive branch in the work of the prosecution, in a case that does not reflect the spirit of the Law on Pardons”, said a Ministry interlocutor familiar with the discussions on this matter within this department.

Milatovic requested on Thursday that the Ministry start the procedure ex officio and collect information from other authorities, in order to prepare a reasoned proposal to pardon Bratic, “so that the president could perform his constitutional and legal decision-making function”.

Vesna Bratic was previously ordered up to 30 days detention, being suspected of abuse of her office during the dismissal of Montenegrin school principals in 2021, while serving  as Minister of Education, Culture, Science and Sports.

SDT spokesperson Vukas Radonjic said earlier that Bratic was detained due to flight risk, as she holds a passport of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in addition to a Montenegrin, and there is also a concern that she could influence the witnesses.