Detention decision revoked for former minister

BELGRADE The Appellate Court revoked on Monday the detention decision for former minister of agriculture Sasa Dragin. The former official, accused of fraud, will now be under house arrest, and with be under electronic surveillance, the Court said. Detention decision revoked for former minister Dragin, who held office as the minister of agriculture in the government headed by Mirko Cvetkovic, spent nine months in detention and he should be transferred from the Belgrade District Prison to his home where an electronic bracelet would be attached to his leg to ensure that he respects the ban on leaving the flat. In addition to Dragin, the Appellate Court replaced detention by house arrest in the case of five more suspects accused of fraud concerning subsidised sale of nitrogen fertiliser. By the decision, the Appellate Court changed the decision which the Special Court adopted on August 13 whereby the detention sentences for Dragin and the other suspects were extended by another 60 days, after decisions on detention extension were cancelled on four previous occasions. The Appellate Court said that indictment was confirmed in the case, as well as the suspicions that the suspects procured substantial illegal gains through illegal activities and thus caused extensive damage to the Serbian budget. The former minister was placed in detention on November 24, 2012. Owner of the consulting company CES Mecon Zvonimir Nikezic and several other private company owners were arrested on this occasion as well, and the investigation was expanded four more times after this. The preparatory hearing in the case against Dragin and 20 of his associates suspected of abuse of office in the Azotara Pancevo artificial fertiliser plant case was scheduled for September 9. The Prosecutor's Office for Organised Crime raised an indictment against Dragin and the other suspects on May 22 on suspicion that they caused around EUR 25 million worth of damages to the Azotara plant. The suspects are charged with sale of subsidised mineral fertiliser since July 2009 to October 2011, which was performed contrary to the decrees of the Serbian government. (FoNet, file) Tanjug

Detention decision revoked for former minister

Dragin, who held office as the minister of agriculture in the government headed by Mirko Cvetković, spent nine months in detention and he should be transferred from the Belgrade District Prison to his home where an electronic bracelet would be attached to his leg to ensure that he respects the ban on leaving the flat.

In addition to Dragin, the Appellate Court replaced detention by house arrest in the case of five more suspects accused of fraud concerning subsidised sale of nitrogen fertiliser.

By the decision, the Appellate Court changed the decision which the Special Court adopted on August 13 whereby the detention sentences for Dragin and the other suspects were extended by another 60 days, after decisions on detention extension were cancelled on four previous occasions.

The Appellate Court said that indictment was confirmed in the case, as well as the suspicions that the suspects procured substantial illegal gains through illegal activities and thus caused extensive damage to the Serbian budget.

The former minister was placed in detention on November 24, 2012. Owner of the consulting company CES Mecon Zvonimir Nikezić and several other private company owners were arrested on this occasion as well, and the investigation was expanded four more times after this.

The preparatory hearing in the case against Dragin and 20 of his associates suspected of abuse of office in the Azotara Pancevo artificial fertiliser plant case was scheduled for September 9.

The Prosecutor's Office for Organised Crime raised an indictment against Dragin and the other suspects on May 22 on suspicion that they caused around EUR 25 million worth of damages to the Azotara plant.

The suspects are charged with sale of subsidised mineral fertiliser since July 2009 to October 2011, which was performed contrary to the decrees of the Serbian government.