Buildings without permit torn down in Savamala - PM

Buildings without permit torn down in Savamala - PM

According to Vucic, this case has been assigned excessive importance because "some people think there's political meat there to be used for their own promotion."

Vucic, who did not identify those seeking self-promotion in this way, also said that "all that needs to be done is to let competent authorities, the police and the prosecution, work on the case in accordance with the law."

The prime minister said that he was informed that "no one had prevented the police from reacting," and that regular police called in the communal police "because they had jurisdiction."

Vucic added that he had not read the report of the ombudsman concerning the case, which, among other things, contains transcripts of conversations during which a police employee said that the order to turn to the communal police "came from the top of the police."

"Imagine if I read everything. I have read everything related to the case of the murder of (folk singer) Jelena Marjanovic, which is 500 times more important than this case. Here, nobody was injured," said Vucic.

He then remarked that "somebody is constantly creating political cases where there are none."

"Let me say right away, if someone from the government wanted to do it like that, they're a complete idiot. This should have been demolished in broad daylight. That there was disgusting, illegally built, and there was no legal ground for it to stand there. City's construction machinery should have been used, and they could have also called me," said Vucic.

As he explained, he would said that "the authorities want to make the most beautiful part of Belgrade there (in Savamala), instead of the dirty shacks."

"I do not understand to whom it occurred to carry out the demolition like that. I do not understand the essence of this case, maybe someone (should) bring back what was there illegally," said Vucic.

The report of Ombudsman Sasa Jankovic states that "citizens told the truth about the demolition" while there were "omissions in the work of the police."

"These omissions are not the result of an individual's failures, but were clearly organized and carried out under a previously prepared plan, and the orders issued," said the document, available here (PDF file, Serbian only).