Ex-public company official, businessman arrested

NOVI SAD The Serbian police on Monday detained seven persons on suspicion that they incurred financial damages to the city of Novi Sad in the amount of EUR 1.3mn. B92 has been able to confirm that among those arrested are former Director of the Public Enterprise for City Construction of Novi Sad Borislav Novakovic, and owner of the Industry of Meat Matijevic company, Petar Matijevic. Ex-public company official, businessman arrested Borislav Novakovic is an official of the Democratic Party (DS). Three of his former associates from the public enterprise have also been arrested: Tatjana Gasovic, Milana Sucevic, and Svetlana Bajic. The Matijevic company General Director Milan Jozanov is also among the suspects, as is Zoran Culum, who is former director of Aleksandar Gradnja, and currently director of the Raiffeisen Bank Novi Sad Regional Center. The police are now looking for the owner and director of the Aleksandar Gradnja company, Vojislav Tajic. The authorities believe that from 2007 until 2010, the group acted to incur financial damage to the city and the state in the amount of some EUR 1.3 million, allowing Industry of Meat Matijevic to, at the same time, make illegal gains of some EUR 1.8 million, while Aleksandar Gradnja benefited illegally in the amount of EUR 500,000. Matijevic and his associates are charged with committing the criminal act of abusing their powers related to economic activity, and with tax evasion. The group arrested on Tuesday is suspected "of abusing office and tax dodging in relation to construction land, thus causing the loss to the budget of the city of Novi Sad and the Republic of Serbia," Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told reporters in the southern town of Nis, Tanjug reported. B92 Beta

Ex-public company official, businessman arrested

Borislav Novaković is an official of the Democratic Party (DS).

Three of his former associates from the public enterprise have also been arrested: Tatjana Gašović, Milana Sučević, and Svetlana Bajić.

The Matijević company General Director Milan Jozanov is also among the suspects, as is Zoran Ćulum, who is former director of Aleksandar Gradnja, and currently director of the Raiffeisen Bank Novi Sad Regional Center.

The police are now looking for the owner and director of the Aleksandar Gradnja company, Vojislav Tajić.

The authorities believe that from 2007 until 2010, the group acted to incur financial damage to the city and the state in the amount of some EUR 1.3 million, allowing Industry of Meat Matijević to, at the same time, make illegal gains of some EUR 1.8 million, while Aleksandar Gradnja benefited illegally in the amount of EUR 500,000.

Matijević and his associates are charged with committing the criminal act of abusing their powers related to economic activity, and with tax evasion.

The group arrested on Tuesday is suspected "of abusing office and tax dodging in relation to construction land, thus causing the loss to the budget of the city of Novi Sad and the Republic of Serbia," Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dačić told reporters in the southern town of Niš, Tanjug reported.