Serbian Police Arrest 26 in Corruption Sweep, 203 Million Loss
Special prosecution units in Nis, Kraljevo and Novi Sad ordered the arrests over money laundering, tax evasion and abuse of office, with damage topping 203 million dinars.
- Police arrested 26 people in Nis, Kraljevo and Novi Sad on orders from special prosecution units.
- The state budget and private firms suffered combined damage of 203,158,238 dinars.
- In Nis, a mobile operator employee was detained over losses above 131 million dinars.
- Those held include accountants from Leskovac and former officials of a construction firm.
Officers of the Interior Ministry arrested 26 people across three cities on suspicion of a series of crimes linked to corruption. The operation ran on May 28 through the Criminal Police Directorate and its anti-corruption unit.
The arrests were ordered by special units within the higher public prosecution offices in Nis, Kraljevo and Novi Sad. The suspects face charges of money laundering, tax evasion, abuse of office and fraud. Investigators estimate that the budget and the affected firms lost more than 203 million dinars in total.
How large is the damage and the illegal gain?
According to investigators, the total damage reached 203,158,238 dinars. The unlawful financial gain that the suspects allegedly acquired is put at roughly 197 million dinars.
The single largest figure ties to the case in Nis. There, police detained B. K., an employee of a mobile operator, suspected of seizing high value phones through falsified customer records.
In this way, the company was harmed by more than 131,000,000 dinars, the statement reads.
Who are the suspects in this case?
Among those detained is a lawyer from Kursumlija. He is accused of attempting to transfer land using a forged court ruling and false powers of attorney, allegedly netting about 8.4 million dinars.
The investigation reached other profiles of suspects as well, including:
- accountants from Leskovac
- former officials of a civil engineering firm
- employees of companies in all three cities
Prosecutors described the action as part of a wider anti-corruption drive. The suspects are charged with offenses that, according to the allegations, systematically drained public revenue and private companies over an extended period.
The special anti-corruption units were created precisely for such cases, where financial flows, forgeries and abuse of office overlap. A decision on possible detention for some of the suspects is expected in the coming days.
How should the state better shield its budget from organized abuse of this kind?
