VJT: We do not act in any case related to the fall of the canopy in Novi Sad

"We remind you that the Special Department for Suppression of Corruption of the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade, acting on the basis of a criminal report dated February 19, 2025, against five persons, conducted an effective investigation and on March 4 filed an indictment against Slobodanka K., investment development manager of AD 'Railway Infrastructure of Serbia', Milutin S., president of the Commission for Technical Inspection of the Railway Station in Novi Sad and member of that commission Biljana K. in connection with criminal offenses a corrupt element that resulted in the fall of the canopy, and due to the existence of a justified suspicion that their failures contributed to and are in a cause-and-effect relationship with the aforementioned tragedy, because if they had acted conscientiously and performed the duty of extraordinary inspection, as well as control of the fulfillment of conditions during the trial work itself, then they would have been able to visually observe signs of breakage and increased deflection on the canopy in the days preceding its collapse, the statement reads.

However, the Supreme Public Prosecutor issued a decision on substitution by which he authorized the Public Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime to proceed further in this case, with the explanation of efficient conduct of the proceedings, it added.

"Also, the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade took a statement in the capacity of a citizen from the injured party in that case, Djura Raca, from whose statement there are indications that he reported the commission of the criminal offense of Terrorism, for which the Public Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime has jurisdiction, to which Raca's statement was submitted for further action," it is further emphasized.

"We repeat once again that the Higher Public Prosecutor's Office in Belgrade is no longer acting in any case related to the fall of the canopy and that it has given its maximum in acting by reacting effectively to suspected criminal acts and prosecuting the responsible persons in the part that relates to the jurisdiction of this prosecutor's office.

We remind you that in the meantime the High Court in Belgrade confirmed the indictment from March 4, which was brought by the Special Department of the Criminal Investigation Department in Belgrade," it concludes.