"Today's public statement by Boris Bogdanović and his colleagues represents a renewed attempt to comment on legal proceedings under the pretext of public interest and create an atmosphere in which an attempt is made to replace the legal epilogue with political and media pressure," the statement said.
The legal team points out that their client clearly stated in court that he would seek protection of his integrity exclusively through the institutions of the system.
"Aco Đukanović decisively stated at the hearing that he will protect his personal, professional and family integrity by all means provided by law, with full confidence in the judicial system of Montenegro," the statement said.
They also add that Đukanović emphasized that he did not want the case to be the subject of political discussions.
"He clearly indicated before the court that his position has nothing to do with politics and that he does not want this issue to be moved to the political arena, but rather insists exclusively on legality and establishing the truth," the statement said.
Lawyers say that the criminal charges filed are not politically motivated.
"The criminal complaint does not represent any political pressure, but rather indicates suspicion of serious abuse of authority and illegal conduct by the reported persons," they emphasize.
They also point to the court's decision to return the indictment for amendment as, they claim, confirmation of the existence of procedural shortcomings.
"The fact that the indictment was returned for amendment indicates the existence of serious shortcomings during the conduct of the investigation," it states.
They conclude that this is solely a legal, not a political, issue.
"This is not a political issue, but a legal one. Those who are trying to shift it to a political level are trying to relativize serious legal issues on which the final judgment will be given by the competent institutions," the legal team said.
