Pantovic: The Prosecution stated that Banjac was taken into custody due to a misunderstanding; he is going home soon

Lawyer Ljubomir Pantovic said that his client Branko Banjac, who had been brought in for questioning by the Kosovo police the previous day around noon, had reported today to the Basic Court in Pristina and had received confirmation that he was completely free and could go home to Belgrade without any problems.

Pantovic told Kosovo Online that the Kosovo Police and the Prosecutor's Office had explained the whole case with Banjac as a misunderstanding and that there had actually been no criminal act, for which they had taken his client to Jarinje.

"Branko Banjac from Belgrade was arrested because of a banal misunderstanding that happened between him and a saleswoman at a gas station in Glogovac, about a year ago. Although it was a misunderstanding, the police filed a criminal complaint against him, which the Kosovo Criminal Code calls 'taking possession of someone else's movable property'. Based on that criminal report, the judge issued an arrest warrant. When Branko and his family came to the administrative crossing of Jarinje yesterday, he was arrested for that," Pantovic said.

Banjac, the lawyer adds, was taken to the Glogovac Police Station for questioning, after which he was released, and today he appeared in front of the basic prosecutor in Pristina accompanied by a lawyer.

He explained that the allegedly injured parties had not joined in the criminal prosecution of Branko and had confirmed this personally to the prosecutor by phone.

"The prosecutor personally called them on the phone, since for that crime it is necessary for the injured parties to join the criminal prosecution and to demand that the defendant be punished. That did not happen, the criminal charges against Branko were dismissed and he is completely free and in the afternoon he will go home," the lawyer said.

Pantovic says that Banjac and his family experienced discomfort, especially because at first there was a fear that it was something more serious.

"His arrest had nothing to do with the property dispute that his wife is leading in Pec against the Kosovo Post, they are really two completely separate things and have nothing to do with each other. That property dispute has nothing to do with this case. The misunderstanding with the saleswoman led to is to file criminal charges against Branko," Pantovic said.

Branko Banjac is innocent, the lawyer repeats and points out that the prosecutor dismissed the criminal complaint and that the arrest warrant will be withdrawn.

"At my request, the prosecutor issued him a written certificate for the Kosovo police stating that the criminal complaint was dismissed and that he is allowed to leave Kosovo and go home without any problems," Pantovic said.