Former municipal president arrested

BELGRADE Former President of the Brus municipality Milutin Jelacic has been detained by the police as a suspect in a case of abuse of official position. The prosecution suspects that Jelicic, former municipal administration manager Djordje Stankovic, and municipal construction inspector Mileta Todorovic conspired to steal EUR 223,701 from the funds set aside to repair damage from landslides. Former municipal president arrested Four other municipal officials are also facing criminal charges. Jelacic is currently president of the Municipal Board of New Serbia (NS) in the town. Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) officials in Brus previously accused him of "requiring the mandate of a deputy in order to invoke his immunity from criminal prosecution, as he was neck-deep in crime". Other parties, allied with the NS in the DOS coalition, also accused Jelacic of wrongdoing, including the local Democrats (DS), whose official and municipal board leader Srecko Raicevic said that Jelacic threated "to break his spine", which the former mayor denied. Belgrade-based tabloid Blic also previously reported about a contract signed in 2005 when the municipality leased 2.5 hectares of land on Mt. Kopaonik to Belgrade's KBM company for a period of 99 years and only RSD 300,000. The Ministry of Finance got involved and canceled the deal, while the public company National Park Kopaonik, that managed the land in question, said the Brus municipality engaged in "pure crime". Two days ago, former President of the Bojnik Municipality Nebojsa Nenadovic was also arrested. He is suspected of using municipal budget funds to bribe voters to vote for the Democrats (DS). B92

Former municipal president arrested

Four other municipal officials are also facing criminal charges.

Jelačić is currently president of the Municipal Board of New Serbia (NS) in the town.

Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) officials in Brus previously accused him of "requiring the mandate of a deputy in order to invoke his immunity from criminal prosecution, as he was neck-deep in crime".

Other parties, allied with the NS in the DOS coalition, also accused Jelačić of wrongdoing, including the local Democrats (DS), whose official and municipal board leader Srećko Raičević said that Jelačić threated "to break his spine", which the former mayor denied.

Belgrade-based tabloid Blic also previously reported about a contract signed in 2005 when the municipality leased 2.5 hectares of land on Mt. Kopaonik to Belgrade's KBM company for a period of 99 years and only RSD 300,000.

The Ministry of Finance got involved and canceled the deal, while the public company National Park Kopaonik, that managed the land in question, said the Brus municipality engaged in "pure crime".

Two days ago, former President of the Bojnik Municipality Nebojša Nenadović was also arrested. He is suspected of using municipal budget funds to bribe voters to vote for the Democrats (DS).