Ex-mayor of Niš detained on corruption charges

Ex-mayor of Niš detained on corruption charges

Tanjug is quoting a MUP statement to report that the two are held on suspicion that they committed the criminal offense of abuse of official position.

It is suspected that in December 2011, Simonović concluded a 15-year contract with the private cinema enterprise Vilin Grad d.o.o. Niš without the consent of the Republic Directorate for Property.

The other suspect provided his opinion before the signing, that said contract met legal requirements and as such could be concluded, which is contrary to the Law on Public Property.

In this way the suspects caused losses of more than RSD 90 million to the city of Niš, the Interior Ministry (MUP) said.

Upon the expiration of the detention order, the suspects will be taken to a competent prosecutor’s office for questioning, Tanjug reported.

Simonović was an official of the then ruling Democrats when he became mayor in 2008, and left the party along with five other councilors in February of this year.

According to media reports, Simonović was in December 2012 summoned by the police to make a statement in the Wind Jet case.

The Južne Vesti website reported at the time that the investigation concerned a contentious contract concluded between the city of Niš and the Italian low cost airliner, and the subsidies it envisaged.

Specifically, it was claimed that in November 2009 Simonović ordered money from the budget to be paid to Wind Jet to fly from Niš to Bologna, Italy.

These flights were halted in October 2010, and the Italian side is yet to pay back a EUR 50,000 deposit paid by the city administration.

In August 2012, Wind Jet ceased operations.

State auditors claimed that Simonović concluded the contract with the company without a tender, thus breaking the law.