Ex-minister acquitted of corruption charges

BELGRADE The Higher Court in Belgrade has acquitted former Telecommunication Minister Marija Raseta Vukosavljevic and her associates of charges for abuse of office. The court determined that there was no evidence that the minister in late PM Zoran Djindjic's government and her associates had illegally obtained more than RSD 1.5mn during the reconstruction of a terminal and a VIP lounge at Belgrade’s Nikola Tesla Airport. Ex-minister acquitted of corruption charges Aside from Raseta Vukosavljevic, Sladjan Ivkovic, Branislav Vitasovic, Dusko Grilihes and co-owners of Kolubara invest gradnja Dejan Misovic and Lazar Buncic were also acquitted. The Higher Prosecution in Belgrade has the right to file an appeal to the Appellate Court 15 days after it has received the written verdict. Explaining the verdict, Judge Dragomir Gerasimovic said that key characteristics of a crime were missing in the actions of the accused – the illegal financial gain and incurred damages. He added that it was determined thanks to witness statements that Raseta Vukosavljevic did not influence the appointment of the airport director and that a proper procedure had been followed in that case. The airport director was appointed by the entire government and not by Raseta Vukosavljevic’s ministry and his decisions were empowered by the Managing Board’s decisions. Raseta Vukosavljevic was arrested in November 2004 and she denied her involvement in the malversation after she had been released from custody and stressed that her arrest was politically motivated. At the beginning of the trial in November 2011, she denied all the allegations of the indictment, pointing out that she had never directly or indirectly influenced the work of the airport, tenders, the choice of the tenderers or the implementation of the agreements. According to the indictment, Ivkovic and Grilihes, in agreement with the former minister, used their influence to make sure that Termoenergo-inzinjering owned by Jovan Djenadic got to carry out the reconstruction of the airport terminal even though the company did not have the necessary license. The company also did not give the best offer for the job. Grilihes and Djenadic signed a contract with a price of around RSD 16.8mn. After signing numerous annexes, the price rose to almost RSD 96.1 without any grounds, reads the indictment. Since then Belgrade Airport Director Djordje Lukic did not agree with the decision, he wrote a complaint. According to the indictment, Raseta Vukosavljevic proposed to Jat Airways, which is a founder of Belgrade Airport, to dismiss Lukic and appoint one of the accused, Vitasovic, in late May 2003. After making a deal with the former minister, Grilihes and Ivkovic, Vitasovic called on the construction companies to submit their offers for the construction of the VIP lounge without calling a public tender, the prosecution pointed out in the indictment. Vitasovic, in accordance with Grilihes’ approval and decision, signed a contract with Kolubara invest gradnja company even though he knew that the construction work could not be done or paid for without the adoption of the main project and due to the fact that the company did not have the necessary license. Marija Raseta-Vukosavljevic (Tanjug, file) B92 Tanjug

Ex-minister acquitted of corruption charges

Aside from Rašeta Vukosavljević, Slađan Ivković, Branislav Vitasović, Duško Grilihes and co-owners of Kolubara invest gradnja Dejan Mišović and Lazar Bunčić were also acquitted.

The Higher Prosecution in Belgrade has the right to file an appeal to the Appellate Court 15 days after it has received the written verdict.

Explaining the verdict, Judge Dragomir Gerasimović said that key characteristics of a crime were missing in the actions of the accused – the illegal financial gain and incurred damages.

He added that it was determined thanks to witness statements that Rašeta Vukosavljević did not influence the appointment of the airport director and that a proper procedure had been followed in that case.

The airport director was appointed by the entire government and not by Rašeta Vukosavljević’s ministry and his decisions were empowered by the Managing Board’s decisions.

Rašeta Vukosavljević was arrested in November 2004 and she denied her involvement in the malversation after she had been released from custody and stressed that her arrest was politically motivated.

At the beginning of the trial in November 2011, she denied all the allegations of the indictment, pointing out that she had never directly or indirectly influenced the work of the airport, tenders, the choice of the tenderers or the implementation of the agreements.

According to the indictment, Ivković and Grilihes, in agreement with the former minister, used their influence to make sure that Termoenergo-inžinjering owned by Jovan Đenadić got to carry out the reconstruction of the airport terminal even though the company did not have the necessary license. The company also did not give the best offer for the job.

Grilihes and Đenadić signed a contract with a price of around RSD 16.8mn. After signing numerous annexes, the price rose to almost RSD 96.1 without any grounds, reads the indictment.

Since then Belgrade Airport Director Đorđe Lukić did not agree with the decision, he wrote a complaint. According to the indictment, Rašeta Vukosavljević proposed to Jat Airways, which is a founder of Belgrade Airport, to dismiss Lukić and appoint one of the accused, Vitasović, in late May 2003.

After making a deal with the former minister, Grilihes and Ivković, Vitasović called on the construction companies to submit their offers for the construction of the VIP lounge without calling a public tender, the prosecution pointed out in the indictment.

Vitasović, in accordance with Grilihes’ approval and decision, signed a contract with Kolubara invest gradnja company even though he knew that the construction work could not be done or paid for without the adoption of the main project and due to the fact that the company did not have the necessary license.