detained him for one month as the investigation continued. By January 26, 2006, three days after the accident, there was quite a lot of confusion, with opposing statements. Judge Radović said the investigation could last as long as six months. He also warned Montenegro Railways management to stop making statements that prejudicate the outcome of the investigation. Speaking to the Podgorica daily Pobjeda, he said that the primary goal of his investigation was to determine whether Drobnjak was responsible, but that it would also include wider aspects of railway safety. On January 27, 2006, Vučković requested that the judge open the investigation against Drobnjak for the "grave endangerment of traffic safety with deadly consequence". Drobnjak's lawyers, Dragana Vujović and Goran Rodić, appealed against his one-month detention on January 28, 2006: "He was assigned detention on the grounds that he might flee and/or influence witnesses. It is completely ridiculous for the possibility of escape to be declared as grounds for detention in this case. He was operated on yesterday, and long rehabilitation awaits him. And as far as possibility of influencing witnesses goes, he has already been questioned twice in great detail." Trial On July 23, 2006, base prosecutor's office in Podgorica indicted 12 employees of Montenegrin Railways. In November 2007 the courts sentenced Slobodan Drobnjak to six years of imprisonment and freed all 11 other charged personnel from the Railways (among them: executive director Rešad Nuhodžić, executive director of transport Momčilo Rakočević, deputy executive director for traffic affairs Vojo Andrijašević, etc.). Public reaction Asked in the wake of Lompar's and Medenica's resignations if the government should resign, deputy Prime Minister Miroslav Ivanišević responded that train accidents occur even in much more developed countries with better infrastructure, adding that the government invested a lot in developing its railway infrastructure. By Friday January 27, 2006 there were strong reactions to what many perceived to be unjust public singling-out of Drobnjak. The non-governmental organization Group for Changes offered free legal counsel to him and accused Railways of Montenegro of engaging in a public smear campaign with the aim of washing their hands of responsibility by sacrificing an employee. Even more outrage ensued when a near-accident was reported barely three days after the tragedy. On January 26, 2006 morning train 6151 from Podgorica arrived at Bar with a cracked wheel on the locomotive. The verdict was met with public outrage as after the trial