Kursumlija: lawyer I. R. (50) suspected of forging a court ruling
The Nis Higher Public Prosecutor's special department alleges a lawyer from Kursumlija tried to change ownership on a prime land plot in Nis by filing a forged court ruling.
- The Nis Higher Public Prosecutor's special department is handling a case against lawyer I. R. (50) from Kursumlija.
- The suspect faces charges of filing a forged court ruling to change ownership.
- The forgery target is a prime land plot in Nis.
- The arrest is part of an Interior Ministry (MUP) operation in which 26 people were arrested over corruption.
The Special Department for the Suppression of Corruption at the Nis Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office is handling a case against lawyer I. R. (50) from Kursumlija. The suspect was arrested as part of a broader Interior Ministry (MUP) operation, which on May 27 detained 26 people.
According to the investigation, the suspect last year tried to use a forged court ruling to change ownership on a prime land plot in Nis. The case is one of six separate matters being handled by the Nis Higher Public Prosecutor’s special department, joined in procedural terms within the broader operation.
Modus operandi
According to informal accounts from sources close to the investigation, the forged court ruling depicted nonexistent proceedings in which the transfer of ownership from the actual owner to a third party had been ordered. The suspect, according to the accounts, submitted the document to the Republic Geodetic Authority in order to have it recorded in the real estate registry.
The criminal charges against the suspect include:
- forgery of a document
- attempted fraud in commercial activity
- abuse of position by a responsible person
- concealing the actual state of the land registry entry
The attractiveness of the location, according to the investigation, raised the value of the subject of the offense. The attempted transfer, according to the investigation, was caught during a verification of the registry prior to entry.
Legal classification
The offense of forgery of a document under Article 355 of the Criminal Code carries a fine or up to 3 years in prison in its basic form. When the offense involves a public document, it carries 3 months to 5 years.
The offense of forgery of a document under Article 355, paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code, when the subject of forgery is a public document, is punishable by 3 months to 5 years’ imprisonment under the applicable statutory classification.
The special prosecutor’s office, according to informal accounts, is also considering the aggravated form of fraud under Article 208 of the Criminal Code, given the value of the subject and the fact that the offense was committed in the capacity of a lawyer.
Specific question of the lawyer’s status
Given that the suspect is a lawyer, the Serbian Bar Association has been notified of the operation via the regional bar association. According to informal accounts, a disciplinary procedure will be opened that runs parallel to the criminal case.
The Nis Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office said the case will be returned for further operational work by the criminal investigations unit, which will draft a report with findings of the forensic examination of the disputed document. Handwriting and paper forensic work is underway.
The suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a final court decision.
Will the case open the question of a broader network involved in forging public documents?
