Defense at a prostitution trial threatens a proposal to dismiss the judge

The hearing against the Quartet continued today at the Koper District Court, accused of exploiting prostitutes at a nightclub in Cross near Sežana. Defense lawyers pointed to it, among other things, that they were violated by the right to defense, since the defense was not informed in a timely manner of which witnesses will ever testify.

According to representatives of the defense, they cannot prepare properly for the hearing of each witness in this way. They added that the court file covers thousands of pages, making them not bring with them all the documents.

A complication with a Spanish -speaking witness

The judge explained that witnesses come from different areas, including from abroad. Therefore, there are several times the absence of announced witnesses, and consequently, they subsequently invite others, he said. In defense, they did not agree with this explanation. If such events continue, they will propose the dismissal of the judge, they announced.

The complication has also occurred today. Namely, one of the Spanish -speaking witnesses were present at the hearing, which was supposed to work in a controversial nightclub, but had to wait for a court interpreter for the Spanish language. The latter was invited to the hearing at a later hour after the court’s mistake. At today’s hearing, however, they continued reading the documents.

They are on the bench Boštjan Zahrastnik, Simon Macarol, Danijel Guštin and Stanko Kutnjak. As they reported in April Primorske novicethe prosecution believes that they have committed the crime in a criminal organization. This is supposed to take place under the leadership of Macarol, who is also a co -owner of a property, where the Night Club Cellar operated between 2009 and 2017.

The club is expected to use 18 women, including foreigners from poorer backgrounds, for prostitution. As they reported Primorske noviceallegedly in the role of employers, Macarol and Zahrastnik, who had a company registered for employment. Guštin and Kutnjak are supposed to work as a waiter, while also participating in the control of prostitutes.

The accused four denies any involvement in human trafficking and organization of prostitution. Kutnjak and Guštin repeatedly emphasized that they were just waiters, and Zahrastnik said that trafficking was a crime, they said Primorske novice.