Official resigns for letting his brother use government car

Official resigns for letting his brother use government car

He explained that Jablanovic took the responsibility for "allowing persons who had no right to it" to use the government car in question, even though "this is a violation that could not lead to anyone's sacking in the state administration - and I'm unaware of anyone being sacked for it, even in a private company - but Jablanovic is not an ordinary employee."

Vulin, who heads the Movement of Socialists, said that Jablanovic was a politician and a state secretary "and precisely because he is a member of my party and my friend, he was under an obligation to look after the property entrusted to him, and the ministry's reputation, in a special way."

Vulin also said that Jablanovic "has nothing to do at all" with the activities of his brother - "but my final opinion on those, and the final word will be made by the prosecution and the court, not the media."

The minister then remarked that "this will be particularly unusual to some parties of the former regime who never punished anyone for much bigger and more serious transgressions," and added that "the current authorities are different than them in this way."

All this comes after the Higher Court in Belgrade on Wednesday ordered Jablanovic's brother, Marko Jablanovic, and three others held in custody for 30 days on suspicion that they trafficked drugs - specifically, marijuana.

According to media reports, Marko Jablanovic was in an official car of the Ministry of Labor when he was arrested. But the ministry said the same day that no drugs were found in the vehicle, "or anything else illegal," when it was searched.

State Secretary in the Interior Ministry (MUP) Biljana Popovic-Ivkovic also said that no drugs were found in the vehicle in question, "nor in any other government vehicle."

Aleksandar Jablanovic issued a statement on Thursday announcing his resignation, confirming that he allowed his brother to use the government vehicle, but denying that drugs were found in it, and said these were "fake accusations."