Montenegro’s Higher Court has upheld the ruling of the Basic Court in Podgorica sentencing former Chair of the Council of the Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG), Veselin Drljević, and former Council members Filip Lazović, Naod Zorić and Amina Murić to suspended prison sentences of seven months for abuse of office in connection with the unlawful reappointment of Boris Raonić as Director General of the public broadcaster in 2023, the Higher Court told TV Vijesti.

The ruling of the Basic Court, delivered in September last year, has therefore become final. Appeals filed by both the Basic State Prosecutor’s Office and the defence were dismissed as unfounded. The Higher Court issued its decision on June 15, according to TV Vijesti.

The proceedings against the RTCG Council members were initiated because they voted once again to appoint Raonić as Director General in 2023, despite previous final rulings by the Basic Court and the Higher Court finding that his initial appointment in 2021 had been unlawful due to a conflict of interest. Those earlier judgments instructed the Council to appoint one of the remaining candidates from the 2021 recruitment process instead.

Drljević recently reapplied for membership of the RTCG Council. Zorić was reappointed to the Council two years ago, while the mandates of Lazović and Murić have since expired.

During a recent consultative hearing before the Parliament’s Administrative Committee regarding the appointment of a new RTCG Council member, Drljević commented on the Basic Court’s ruling, saying that if it were upheld, he would “know what to do.”

“If the Basic Court’s rulings are upheld, no one will have to remind me to resign,” Drljević said at the time.

His first term on the Council had already expired, but the Administrative Committee nevertheless nominated him once again for appointment by Parliament as a member of the RTCG Council.