Today the Special Court in Belgrade rejected a number of proposals by the defense counsel of “Delta holding” owner Miroslav Miskovic and announced the possibility of the respective summations of the prosecution and defense counsels on 26th May. Afterwards the first- instance award should be issued.
The Court rejected the proposals presented by Miskovic’s defense lawyer at last week’s session, including the proposed new tax expertise as well as the questioning of former Minister of Finance Bozidar Djelic, who had justified the tax law applicable at the time of alleged frauds cited in the indictment against Miskovic.
The Court also refused to question Aleksandar Martinovic, Member of Parliament of the Progressive Party and President of the Parliament’s Legislative Committee which adopted the opinion on taxes, as well as the questioning of former directors of the Tax Administration.
Miskovic is standing trial on grounds of charges for tax evasion and alleged siphoning off money from the road maintenance companies and for assisting his son Marko in tax evasion regarding the withholding capital gain tax in trading with the shares of PZP “Nis”.
At today’s session the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime submitted the specified part of the indictment which was also handed to Miskovic and his defense lawyer today.
The specified part of the indictment refers to the criminal offense of tax evasion in assistance. Moreover, the Prosecutor’s Office claims that Miskovic was fully aware of his acting and the fact that it was prohibited.
Miskovic’s lawyer Zdenko Tomanovic requested additional time to plead about the revised indictment and for Miskovic to present his defense in that respect. Tomanovic also announced the possibility of proposing new witnesses.
Judge Maja Ilic postponed the trial for 26th May stating that the prosecution and defense counsels should prepare for their final presentations so that there should be no surprises – namely, the summations could be made afterwards.
After the prosecution, Miskovic and his defense lawyer present their summations, the court will schedule the issuance of the first-instance award.
Miskovic is standing trial not only because of assisting his son in tax evasion regarding the withholding tax in the transactions of the road maintenance companies but also because of the abuse of office duty for the alleged siphoning off money from the road maintenance companies.
On 25th February a first-instance court award was issued against Miskovic’s son Marko and other defendants acquitting them of the charges for fraud in which losses were caused to the road maintenance companies.
However, on the count of tax evasion Marko Miskovic was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison and the fine of eight million dinars while his company “Mera Invest” must pay the tax work about 320,.3 million dinars.
Miroslav and Marko Miskovic were arrested in December 2012.
(Tanjug Agency, 10th May 2016)
