Report Filed with the Supreme Prosecutor's Office Against Bojović and Milošević Over Canopy Collapse

The complaint alleges grounds for suspicion that they committed the criminal offense of abuse of official position, in connection with the collapse of the canopy at Novi Sad Railway Station on November 1, 2024, which claimed the lives of 16 people.According to media reports, the complaint emphasizes that neither Bojović nor Milo&scaron;ević has been questioned even as witnesses in the proceedings currently being conducted before the High Public Prosecutor&rsquo;s Office in Novi Sad. This is despite documentation, signed by both men and attached to the report, indicating that Bojović, then president of the Shareholders&rsquo; Assembly of Infrastrukture železnice Srbije, and Milo&scaron;ević, then executive director of the same company, explicitly guaranteed the safety of rail traffic and passengers at all station facilities, including Novi Sad Railway Station.Both men have since left their posts. Bojović is now a professor at the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering in Belgrade and serves as vice-rector of the University of Belgrade.Allegations Against BojovićThe complaint alleges that, in his capacity as president of the Shareholders&rsquo; Assembly, Bojović endangered lives by failing to comply with safety regulations and technical standards. He is accused of managing the company while signing official decisions and reports that declared rail operations safe.Specifically, he signed:The Decision and Report on Compliance of Planned and Implemented Activities from the Business Program of Infrastrukture železnice Srbije AD for 2024 (No. 5/2024-548-218, dated July 26, 2024).The Decision and Report on Compliance of Planned and Realized Activities from the Business Program of Infrastrukture železnice Srbije AD for 2024 (No. 5/2024-540-214, dated April 29, 2024).By signing these, he confirmed awareness of all aspects of the modernization and reconstruction project of the Hungarian Serbian railway corridor, including the Novi Sad&ndash;Subotica&ndash;Kelebija section.In November 2023, Bojović also authorized the company to sign an agreement with Srbija Voz AD for the use of public railway infrastructure. This authorization guaranteed that trains could operate safely on tracks and that station facilities for passenger entry and exit were safe. As a result, the Novi Sad Railway Station, including Lobby Wing B, where the canopy later collapsed, remained open for the public until the tragedy on November 1, 2024.Allegations Against Milo&scaron;evićMilo&scaron;ević, as executive director in charge of public railway infrastructure, is accused of authorizing train operations at Novi Sad Railway Station despite ongoing reconstruction works. On March 18, 2022, he issued Telegram No. 138f, allowing passenger traffic to begin on the Belgrade Center&ndash;Novi Sad line the very next day, March 19.Additionally, Telegram No. 8f, signed by M.J. (the company&rsquo;s traffic manager and Milo&scaron;ević&rsquo;s subordinate), confirmed Srbija Voz&rsquo;s right to manage passenger traffic at Novi Sad station during its reconstruction, including the use of all facilities. This document effectively guaranteed safety for train operations and passenger use of the station, despite known risks.Furthermore, Milo&scaron;ević failed to order regular and extraordinary inspections of Novi Sad station facilities, as required under Article 21 in connection with Article 19(3) of the Rulebook on Building Structures. Corrosion at the junction of the tensioner and roof rack was therefore not addressed, leading to the eventual structural failure.As a result, on November 1, 2024, the canopy collapsed in front of Lobby B of Novi Sad Railway Station, causing mass casualties.Concerns Over ProsecutionAdding to public concern, recent photographs surfaced showing Bojović and Milo&scaron;ević alongside Mladen Nenadić, the Chief Public Prosecutor for Organized Crime. Nenadić&rsquo;s office is now leading an investigation into funding related to the railway reconstruction. The photo has raised serious questions about the actions of both the High Public Prosecutor&rsquo;s Office in Novi Sad and the Organized Crime Prosecutor&rsquo;s Office, since both agencies excluded Bojović and Milo&scaron;ević from their investigations, not only as defendants but even as witnesses.

Report Filed with the Supreme Prosecutor's Office Against Bojović and Milošević Over Canopy Collapse

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